The UN food and agricultural body announces that global food prices sharply rebounded in July due to wild swings in weather conditions.
The rise has fanned fresh fears of a repeat of the 2007-2008 food crisis which hurt the world’s poorest.
Untimely rains in Brazil, drought in the US and production difficulties in Russia drove the rally, said the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Food prices jumped 6% in July from June after falling three months in a row.
The FAO food price index measures the monthly price changes for a basket of food commodities including cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar. The index reading in July was still well below the all-time high reached in February 2011.
The Rome-based organization took the surprise step of publishing the index this month – which it usually does not – due to the exceptional market conditions affected by unusual weather patterns.
The UN food and agricultural body announces that global food prices sharply rebounded in July due to wild swings in weather conditions
Cereal prices surged 17%, while sugar leapt 12% to new highs in July from the previous month after rains hampered sugarcane harvesting in Brazil, the world’s largest producer.
Delayed monsoons in India and poor rains in Australia also contributed to higher prices.
“The severe deterioration of maize crop prospects in the US following extensive drought damage pushed up maize prices by almost 33% in July,” said the FAO.
The price of rice and dairy was unchanged, although meat fell 1.7% due to a slump in pork prices.
The surge in prices have renewed fears of a food crisis that plagued countries in 2007-2008, sparking violent street protests in countries like Haiti and Egypt.
“There is a potential for a situation to develop like we have back in 2007-2008,” said FAO senior economist and grain analyst Abdolreza Abbassian.
“There is an expectation that this time around we will not pursue bad policies and intervene in the market by restrictions, and if that doesn’t happen we will not see such a serious situation as 2007-2008. But if those policies get repeated, anything is possible,” he added.
Higher food prices hurt the world’s poorest countries because it means they will need to pay higher import bills as they do not produce enough food at home.
Oxfam said that since the beginning of the year, rising food prices and drought had caused a food crisis in the Sahel sub-region of west and central Africa, affecting more than 18 million people over an area of land as wide as the US.
“This is not some gentle wake-up call – it’s the same global alarm that’s been screaming at us since 2008,” said Hannah Stoddart, Oxfam’s head of economic justice policy, regarding the FAO data.
“These latest figures prove yet again that there is something fundamentally flawed in the way we produce and distribute food around the world. For too long our leaders have stood by complacently, while up to a billion people go hungry worldwide,” she said.
Restaurant insiders from across the US have revealed what really goes on behind customers’ backs.
Tricks, such as adding extra sugar to kids’ meals so children enjoy them more, and that a daily “special” is often leftover ingredients that need to be used up, were revealed in the list of industry secrets compiled for Good Morning America by Reader’s Digest.
The mostly-anonymous group of wait staff also admitted some common lies told to customers.
One revealed that they would tell a vegetarian that a dish contained no meat stock, regardless of whether it did or not, just to sell the dish.
And a Kansas City waitress said that she will just serve decaf coffee after 8pm so she only has to clean one pot at the end of the night – but will confidently tell a customer that their coffee is caffeinated regardless.
“I’ll bring out a tray with 12 coffees on it and give some to the customers who ordered regular, others to the ones who ordered decaf. But they’re all decaf,” she admitted.
As for milk, they reveal very few outlets beyond Starbucks carry skimmed milk, and your skinny latte has most likely been made with 2% or whole milk instead because “it’s just not practical” to stock so many varieties.
Restaurant insiders from across the US have revealed what really goes on behind customers' backs
Even the most upscale breakfast buffets are not immune from shortcuts, with another revealing that “99 times out of 100” scrambled eggs are made with a powder instead of fresh eggs.
Kids’ meals are a shady area too: a waitress at a well-known pizza chain admitted: “We put sugar in our kids’ meals so kids will like them more. Seriously. We even put extra sugar in the dough for the kids’ pizzas.”
Some trade secrets are so offputting, it affects how wait staff order when they dine out themselves.
One waitress told Reader’s Digest that she would never have a lemon slice in her drink, having seen that the fruit are rarely washed before being sliced and handled by many different staff before they make it into a customer’s drink.
Another revealed that they would never order fish if dining on a Sunday or a Monday because a restaurant’s seafood deliveries usually come just twice a week so the freshest fish is most likely served between Tuesday and Friday.
The list also delves into the type of customer behaviour that servers respond to best – and in that, provide the best quality service.
First dates, especially blind dates, one Michigan waiter said, are great for tips because a guy will typically show off by ordering wine, and leave a generous 20-25% tip.
But diners can quickly lose favor with their waiter by doing something as simple as ordering hot tea – apparently the most annoying menu item to prepare.
“The single greatest way to get your waiter to hate you? Ask for hot tea,” a New York maître d’hôtel told the magazine.
“For some reason, an industry that’s managed to streamline everything else hasn’t been able to streamline that. You’ve got to get a pot, boil the water, get the lemons, get the honey, bring a cup and spoon. It’s a lot of work for little reward.”
This is not the first time that restaurant staff has lifted the lid on what goes on behind the scenes. Last month social news website Reddit asked fast food employees for “the one menu option at your employment that you would recommend people never eat?”
Within 24 hours, the conversation generated more than 6,000 comments revealing the alleged dodgy practices in fast-food chains, including some branches of Wendy’s, McDonalds and Subway.
The thread also offers some useful tips for customers to be aware of including, mouldy ice machines and how condiment containers can be endlessly refilled without being cleaned.
Chicken nuggets and grilled chicken were repeat offenders throughout the thread. One former McDonald’s employee warned against the chicken nuggets recalling: “I accidentally left a whole bag of about 100 chicken nuggets out on a counter for way too long. They melted. Into a pool of liquid.
“I never understood why. But they were completely indiscernible as being the nuggets I once knew.”
FIVE OF THE WORST RESTAURANT RUSES:
VEGETARIAN OPTIONS: “If you’re a vegetarian and you ask if we use vegetable stock, I’m going to say yes, even if we don’t. You’ll never know the difference.”
DAILY SPECIALS: “Watch out for the soup of the day. If it contains fish or if it’s some kind of <<gumbo>>, it’s probably the stuff they’re trying to get rid of.”
FISH: “Don’t order fish on Sunday or Monday. The fish deliveries are usually twice a week, so Tuesday through Friday are great days.”
KIDS’ MEALS: “We put sugar in our kids’ meals so kids will like them more. Seriously. We even put extra sugar in the dough for the kids’ pizzas.”
HOMEMADE: “[One boss would] go to Costco and buy this gigantic carrot cake for $10 and tell us to say it’s homemade. Then he sold it for $10 a slice.”
Facebook has removed an Australian page that depicted Aboriginal people as drunks and welfare cheats after a public outcry.
The Aboriginal Memes page had allowed users to post jokes about indigenous people.
An online petition calling for the removal of “the racist page” has generated thousands of signatures. The government has also condemned it.
The page’s creator is believed to be a 16-year-old boy in Perth, reports say.
Facebook has removed an Australian page that depicted Aboriginal people as drunks and welfare cheats after a public outcry
“We recognize the public concern that controversial meme pages that Australians have created on Facebook have caused,” Facebook said in a statement to local media.
A meme is an idea that spreads through the internet.
“We believe that sharing information, and the openness that results, invites conversation, debate and greater understanding.
“At the same time, we recognize that some content that is shared may be controversial, offensive, or even illegal in some countries.”
“I think it’s absolutely inappropriate,” Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy told ABC television.
“We don’t live by American laws here in Australia, we live by Australian laws and this is an Australian who is using the fact that Facebook is based in the US to get away from Australian laws.”
Australia’s communication and media authority launched an investigation into the page on Tuesday, reports say.
An online petition against the page on website change.org has gathered more than 17,000 signatures in just two days.
“The page Controversial Humor Aboriginal Memes is an attack on the Aboriginal people of Australia and violates this term,” the petition states, adding that racist terms were used “that completely belittle the rich heritage of the Aboriginal people”.
Surviving members of 60s pop band The Monkees will perform their first live shows together in fifteen years in a US tour.
The 12-date US tour, which begins in November, will mark the band’s first tour since Davy Jones died in February, at the age of 66.
Band members Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork will perform some of the bands hit songs, including Daydream Believer and I’m a Believer.
Manchester-born lead singer Davy Jones died of a heart attack on 29 February.
Surviving members of 60s pop band The Monkees will perform their first live shows together in fifteen years in a US tour
The four Monkees members were brought together to star in a US television show in 1966.
The made-for-TV band – widely touted as America’s answer to the Beatles – rocketed to the top of the music charts enjoying four number one albums in a 13-month period.
The original band broke up in 1969, when Michael Nesmith quit. In 1995 all four band members reunited for a UK tour and released a new studio album the following year, entitled Justus.
Further reunion tours – without Michael Nesmith – took place in 2001 and 2011, but the last year’s tour was cut short over a reported scheduling dispute.
After announcing the upcoming tour, Michael Nesmith – who last played with the band in 1997 – told Rolling Stone Magazine he “never really left” the group.
“It is a part of my youth that is always active in my thought and part of my overall work as an artist. It stays in a special place, but like things in the past it fades in and out in relevance to activities that are current.
“Getting together with old friends and acquaintances can be very stimulating and fun and even inspiring to me. We did some good work together and I am always interested in the right time and the right place to reconnect and play,” he said.
The three surviving members of The Monkees will pay tribute to Davy Jones on tour, in a multimedia show with photographs and videos.
“David’s presence and his past will be throughout the show,” said Michael Nesmith.
“He will be missed in his absence, but very much on our minds and in our heart.”
Michael Nesmith said the setlist will be focused around the band’s third album, Headquarters – but will also include songs from Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork, which have never previously been performed in concert.
In 2007, Kim Kardashian was catapulted to stardom following the release of her tape with rapper Ray J.
Now reports have emerged that it was allegedly Kim Kardashian’s mother Kris Jenner saw to it that her daughter would cash in on it.
A source has claimed that “momager” Kris Jenner, 56, helped to set up the sale of the video which led to 31-year-old Kim Kardashian’s fame.
The insider allegedly claimed to Star Magazine via Radar Online: “Kris was totally involved in arranging the sale of Kim’s tape.
“The video already existed, and Kris was there every step of the way as a middleman brought in to market it to an adult entertainment company.”
In 2007, Kim Kardashian was catapulted to stardom following the release of her tape with rapper Ray J
The source also alleged that Kris Jenner was delighted when she found out the tape, released by adult company Vivid Entertainment, was titled Kim Kardashian, Superstar.
The insider claimed: “That must have thrilled Kris since you could hardly call Kim a household name at that point in time.”
And they added that Kris Jenner allegedly received a hefty pay out for the sale of the video.
The source claimed: “I saw Kris Jenner’s signature on the contract; I believe she got somewhere between $250,000 and $500,000 for the original deal with the middleman.”
Kim Kardashian had filmed the tape three years earlier when she was 23, and Keeping Up With The Kardashians premiered eight months after its release.
And the source alleged to the publication that it was all part of the plan for Kris Jenner.
They claimed: “Everything she does in this world, every decision she makes on her daughters’ behalf, is based on greed and publicity. And has nothing to do with her family’s stability or happiness.”
Star Magazine claims that the source passed a polygraph test while making the allegations.
Back in June reports emerged that Kris Jenner had allegedly instructed Kim Kardashian to make the video even had her re-shoot it because the first take wasn’t “pretty enough”.
Kim Kardashian’s younger sister Khloe was infuriated by the claims and said: “That is just disgusting and disturbing, and probably HIS fantasy!”
The United States has begun a project to help clean up Agent Orange contamination at one area in Vietnam – the first such move since the war ended in 1975.
The work is taking place at the airport in the central city of Danang.
The US sprayed millions of gallons of the toxic defoliant over jungle areas to destroy enemy cover.
Vietnam says several million people have been affected by Agent Orange, including 150,000 children born with severe birth defects.
On Thursday, a ceremony was held at the Danang airport where the defoliant was stored before being sprayed over forests hiding fighters from the Viet Cong, guerrillas backed by the Communist government of North Vietnam.
The US has begun a project to help clean up Agent Orange contamination in Vietnam after 37 years since the war ended
The US government is providing $41 million to the clean-up project, which is being carried out by two American companies in co-operation with the Vietnamese defence ministry.
The US has in the past helped fund some social services in Vietnam, but this is its first direct involvement in clean-up work.
The contaminated soil and sediment is to be excavated and then heated to a high temperature to destroy the dioxins, a US embassy statement said.
Frank Donovan of USAID told Radio Australia the project would last until 2016.
“We expect it will be cleaned up to rid the contaminated areas of dioxins down to harmless levels that are accepted both by the government of the US and the government of Vietnam, and so safe for industrial, commercial or residential use,” he said.
There are dozens of other contamination hotspots where the defoliant was stored, including two more airports.
The US and Vietnam resumed full diplomatic ties in 1995 and have grown closer in recent years amid concerns over China’s assertiveness over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
The US compensates its veterans exposed to the defoliant, but does not compensate Vietnamese nationals. A lawsuit brought by a group of Vietnamese nationals against US manufacturers was dismissed in 2007.
For many Vietnamese Agent Orange is a matter of justice undone and a very bitter legacy of the war. Most Vietnamese still think the US should do more to help.
New sources have come forward to corroborate claims that Gu Kailai, the wife of disgraced former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai, once had an affair with Neil Heywood, the British businessman she is accused of murdering, before their relationship soured and Gu became “mentally unstable.”
Gu Kailai, who formerly had a high-flying career as a lawyer, is currently being detained by central government authorities on suspicion of murdering Neil Heywood, a Briton allegedly in Gu’s “inner circle” whose body was cremated without an autopsy after being discovered in a Chongqing hotel room last November. Her husband Bo Xilai, a flamboyant politician once tipped to rise to the highest echelon of power, has also been detained for “serious discipline violations” rumored to include corruption involving hundreds of millions of dollars.
Gu Kailai’s arrest over Neil Heywood’s death has sparked widespread speculation that the two may have been romantically involved. Neil Heywood had known the Bo family since the 1990s, when Bo Xilai was the major of the northeastern Chinese of Dalian, and was said to have looked after the couple’s son, Bo Guagua, who has been studying in the UK and US since the age of 12.
Gu Kailai also reportedly introduced Neil Heywood to his Chinese-born wife, Wang Lulu, who recently visited the British embassy amid claims that she was planning to escape the country with her two children by Neil Heywood.
Gu Kailai, who formerly had a high-flying career as a lawyer, is currently being detained by central government authorities on suspicion of murdering Neil Heywood
Now two separate sources have told UK newspaper the Times that they believe Gu Kailai and Neil Heywood’s relationship went beyond mere friendship.
Wang Kang, a Chongqing academic with contacts linked to Bo Xilai, said there was a “definite” romantic relationship between Gu Kailai and Neil Heywood, which began when Gu came under pressure from Bo to set aside her legal career to make way for his political ambitions.
“Of course they liked to look like a perfect family but there were no true feelings between them,” Wang Kang said.
“That is when the unfortunate British man appeared and she fell deeply into a relationship with him.”
Wang Kang added that Neil Heywood was the one that broke off the relationship and agreed with suggestions that Gu Kailai had become increasingly paranoid and erratic in recent years, which he said was due to her “marrying the political monster Bo Xilai.”
The other source, who refused to be named, claimed he was “linked” to the property at which Gu Kailai and her son stayed when they first arrived in the UK in 2001, and had seen Gu and Neil Heywood acting like “an item.” Documents showed that between March 2001 and January 2002, Gu Kailai and her son had stayed at the top floor of Keystone House apartment in Bournemouth, a seaside town in southwest England. Bo Xilai did not accompany them as he remained in China to focus on his political career.
According to the source, Neil Heywood was a regular visitor at the apartment and had been seen leaving with Bo Guagua in the mornings. While Neil Heywood was only one of three English businessmen who frequented the apartment, he was the only one assumed by the source to have been intimate with Gu Kailai.
“Body language,” the source explained.
“When a man pinches a lady on the backside, as they’re going up the stairs…over-friendly.”
Regardless of whether the allegations of an affair are true, it does appear that Gu Kailai and Neil Heywood’s relationship had clearly soured prior to the Briton’s death.
In an April 18 article published in the UK’s Guardian, an unnamed source claimed that Neil Heywood had privately confessed to her that he thought Gu Kailai was “mentally unstable” and was behaving “like an old-fashioned Chinese aristocrat or empress.”
The source, who described herself as a friend, said she bumped into Neil Heywood at a networking event and met with him every few weeks between 2008 and 2011. She said Neil Heywood had painted Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai as a dysfunctional couple, and added that she would be “surprised” if Gu and Heywood were having an affair because he “wasn’t at all complimentary about her.”
The source also corroborated earlier claims that Gu Kailai was convinced that someone in her inner circle had betrayed her and had demanded Neil Heywood divorce his wife and pledge allegiance to her. However, the source could not confirm rumors that Neil Heywood may have been killed after threatening to expose Gu Kailai’s plan to move millions of potentially dirty money abroad, saying that he had always been “very cagey” about exactly what he was doing for the Bo family.
While there has been speculation that Gu Kailai may have taken the fall over Neil Heywood’s murder in order to protect her husband, Chinese-language magazine Yazhou Zhoukan has reported that sources claiming to know Gu Kailai personally have said they are not surprised by her arrest.
The magazine painted Gu Kailai as a strong personality who was so stubborn that even her husband usually had to yield to her. Sources told the magazine that Bo Xilai had hastily left a session of the National People’s Congress on March 9 because he had received a phone call from his wife, who urged him to defend her and their son from the corruption claims that were about to be unveiled.
This is why, the sources claimed, Bo Xilai had staunchly defended his family when the allegations were first made public.
“A few people have been pouring filth on Chongqing and me and my family,” Bo Xilai said at the time, adding that Gu Kailai had given up her career for him and that he was “touched by her sacrifice.”
There have also been reports that two days after Neil Heywood’s death, Gu Kailai met with Neil Heywood’s widow Wang Lulu at a Chongqing coffee shop, where she tearfully pleaded with Wang to accept the official explanation of “excessive alcohol consumption” and not order an autopsy on her dead husband. Wang Lulu allegedly accepted the request and Heywood’s body was cremated a day later.
While the world waits for the official results of the investigation into Neil Heywood’s murder, the Chinese government has been keen to shoot down rumors that the Briton’s death is being used as an excuse to bring down the flamboyant and highly popular BoXilai to ensure a smooth leadership transition from Hu Jintao to Xi Jinping at the party’s upcoming 18th National Congress.
In an article published by state-run press agency Xinhua on April 17, the government emphasized that the Bo Xilai affair is an “individual incident” that “will not impede China’s development.”
The Heywood investigation is being “handled according to Party regulations and discipline, reflecting the Party’s resolution to strictly govern itself,” the article said, before adding: “It does not indicate a political struggle within the Party.”
Kim Kardashian donned a pair of Kanye West for Guiseppe Zanotti heels, which are made of calf leather and embroidered pearls and cost around $6,000.
Kim Kardashian, 31, first wore them back in March, before the couple had admitted to being The Greatest Love of All Time.
The reality star tweeted before Kanye West’s show in Paris: “I j’adore my shoes tonight!” and slapped a picture of the monstrosities next to her franco-english verbiage.
But that night her outfit at least worked with the crazy legwarmer shoe hybrid as she stuck to cosy cream from head-to-toe.
Kim Kardashian donned a pair of Kanye West for Guiseppe Zanotti heels, which are made of calf leather and embroidered pearls and cost around $6,000
Yesterday, Kim Kardashian’s gorgeous black minidress would’ve worked well with a classic point-toe pump or ankle boot, and if she really wanted to look street, an Ash high-top wedge would do the trick.
But Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have become quite the unit over the past few months, so she understandably (and rather sweetly) wanted to show support for her man.
Kanye West recently gave her the ultimate accolade by writing a new song, Perfect B**** in tribute to her.
The song references the reality star’s famous curves, talking about how the 35-year-old has found his perfect woman.
Kim Kardashian in turn tweeted about missing her “Prince” while she was in LA.
Kanye West debuted his new song over the weekend, along with others from his upcoming album Cruel Summer.
According to the New York Daily News, Kanye West and actor Leonardo DiCaprio joined a table full of models after arriving at the PH-D Rooftop Lounge in New York’s Meatpacking District early Saturday morning.
He took over the DJ booth for 45 minutes, playing a number of new tracks that sampled other music and included “a similar production style” to the one he used on his Watch The Throne album with Jay-Z last summer.
But a source told the paper the standout track of the night was a song that included the chorus My Perfect B****.
“[He raps] verses about his search for the perfect woman and how he has now found the <<perfect bitch>>,” the source told the paper, adding that there were a number of references to Kim Kardashian’s curves.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have proved inseparable since they started dating earlier this year, shortly after the end of her disastrous marriage to sport star Kris Humphries.
Gu Kailai, wife of former high-flying Chinese politician Bo Xilai, has gone on trial charged with murdering British businessman Neil Heywood.
Gu Kailai is accused of poisoning Neil Heywood in 2011 in Chongqing, where her husband was the Communist party head.
State media has called the case against her and an aide “substantial”.
The country is preparing to install a new generation of leaders, and Bo Xilai had once been seen as a strong contender for one of the top jobs.
Bo Xilai was sacked in March and is currently under investigation for unspecified “disciplinary violations”.
Some Chinese leaders are said to welcome the demise of such an openly ambitious colleague, but the case still needs careful handling for fear it might taint the Communist Party itself.
Gu Kailai, wife of former high-flying Chinese politician Bo Xilai, has gone on trial charged with murdering British businessman Neil Heywood
Gu Kailai, 53, who is a well-known lawyer, is being tried in the city of Hefei.
Dozens of uniformed and plain-clothes police were stationed around the court building, at which a convoy of black cars was seen arriving on Thursday morning.
British diplomats are being allowed to witness the trial but journalists will not be attending. Gu Kailai is being represented by state-appointed lawyers.
Neil Heywood’s body was found at a hotel in Chongqing in November 2011, and the death was recorded as a heart attack at the time.
But four months later Bo Xilai’s right-hand man, police chief Wang Lijun, fled to a US consulate to allege murder and a massive cover-up.
Gu Kailai and her aide Zhang Xiaojun are now accused of killing Neil Heywood, who is said to have been a business associate.
State media said Gu Kailai and her son Bo Guagua fell out with Neil Heywood over “economic interests” and that she was worried about “Neil Heywood’s threat to her son’s personal security”.
“The facts of the two defendants’ crime are clear, and the evidence is irrefutable and substantial,” a Xinhua news agency report said.
Gu Kailai and her husband have not been seen in public since April, when the investigation was announced.
Bo Guagua, 24, is believed to be in the US after graduating from Harvard University.
“As I was cited as a motivating factor for the crimes accused of my mother, I have already submitted my witness statement,” he wrote in an email to US broadcaster CNN on Wednesday.
“I hope that my mother will have the opportunity to review them,” he wrote.
“I have faith that facts will speak for themselves.”
Discussion of the case has been very limited in Chinese media. In the week leading up to the trial, no reports have been observed in state press.
Comment also appears to be tightly controlled on the internet, with an increasing number of keywords related to the case apparently blocked.
“I have noticed that in China’s weibo (Twitter-like microblogging sites) and the internet, there are people expressing the view that she should be given a fair trial,” said Lijia Zhang, a Beijing-based writer and journalist.
“I have to tell you that she’s not a very popular figure here. But some people do believe she’s the victim of a political struggle among the very top leaders.”
Seven members of the politburo Standing Committee are due to retire later this year. Bo Xilai, now sacked from his official positions, had been tipped for the top until his fall from grace.
Bo Zhiyue, of the National University of Singapore, said China’s leaders were keen to make the focus of the case criminal, rather than political.
”Bo Xilai is a controversial figure. The central leadership may be divided over how to handle Bo Xilai. I think they have some consensus over how to deal with Gu Kailai,” he said.
He added that there were signs she would be treated with a degree of leniency, pointing to the suggestion in state media that Ms Gu was in some way trying to protect her son.
Jin Xiaopeng, a Beijing-based lawyer, said he believed that “due to Ms Gu’s special status, the most she will get is a suspended death sentence”.
It is not known whether Bo Xilai or Wang Lijun will appear at the trial.
Bo Xilai scandal:
• 6 February: Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun flees to the US consulate in Chengdu
• 15 March: Bo Xilai is removed from his post in Chongqing
• 20 March: Rumors suggest Bo Xilai could be linked to the death of British businessman Neil Heywood
• 10 April: Bo Xilai is suspended from party posts and his wife, Gu Kailai, is investigated over Neil Heywood’s death
• 26 July: Gu Kailai and Bo family employee Zhang Xiaojun are charged with killing Neil Heywood
Lindsay Lohan stripped off by the pool while relaxing at a Hollywood hotel over the weekend.
Lindsay Lohan, 26, put her curves on show in a daring white swimsuit which featured a plunging sheer front.
But her eye-catching look was tainted by blotchy fake tan, which was particularly noticeable around her armpit.
The star regularly has bronzing disasters, but still refuses to embrace the alabaster look.
As she made her way to the pool after a cooling dip, Lindsay Lohan covered up somewhat in a white dressing gown and red pumps.
Lindsay Lohan’s eye-catching look was tainted by blotchy fake tan, which was particularly noticeable around her armpit
The swimsuit is something of a departure from Lindsay Lohan’s usual style, with the actress usually favoring bikinis to show off her figure to its full potential.
But perhaps Lindsay Lohan is attempting to give herself a bit of makeover, amid reports she is set to star in the next video from eccentric pop star Lady Gaga.
The pair first hit the headlines with their friendship when they enjoyed a night out together at Chateau Marmont.
And now Lady Gaga is said to be keen to sign Lindsay Lohan up for the video for one of her new tracks.
A source told the New York Post: “Lady Gaga and Lindsay caused a stir last month when they had their <<sleepover>> at the Chateau. And now it turns out that Lindsay will be starring in Gaga’s new video from her upcoming album ARTPOP.”
It is unknown as yet what video Lindsay Lohan will make an appearance in.
Researchers have discovered that fossils from Northern Kenya show that a new species of human lived two million years ago.
The discovery suggests that at least three distinct species of humans co-existed in Africa.
The research adds to a growing body of evidence that runs counter to the popular perception that there was a linear evolution from monkey to ape to modern human.
The research has been published in the journal Nature.
Anthropologists have discovered three human fossils that are between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old. The specimens are of a face and two jawbones with teeth.
Researchers have discovered that fossils from Northern Kenya show that a new species of human lived two million years ago
The finds back the view that a skull found in 1972 ago is of a separate species of human, known as Homo rudolfensis. The skull was markedly different to any others from that time. It had a relatively large brain and long flat face.
But for 40 years the skull was the only example of the creature and so it was impossible to say for sure whether the individual was an unusual specimen or a member of a new species.
With the discovery of the three new fossils researchers can say with more certainty that H.rudolfensis really was a separate type of human that existed around two million years ago alongside other species of humans.
For a long time the oldest known human ancestor was thought to be a primitive species, dating back 1.8 million years ago called Homo erectus. They had small heads, prominent brows and stood upright.
But 50 years ago, researchers discovered an even older and more primitive species of human called Homo habilis that may have coexisted with H. erectus. Now it seems H. rudolfensis was around too and raises the distinct possibility that many other species of human also existed at the time.
This find is the latest in a growing body of evidence that challenges the view that our species evolved from monkeys in a smooth linear progression. Instead, according to Dr. Meave Leakey of the Turkana Basin Institute in Nairobi, who led the research the find shows that there was a diversity early on in the evolution of our species.
“Our past was a diverse past, our species was evolving in the same way that other species of animals evolved. There was nothing unique about us until we began to make sophisticated stone tools,” she said.
According to Dr. Meave Leakey, the growing body of evidence to suggest that humans evolved in the same way as other animals shows that “evolution really does work”.
“It leads to amazing adaptions and amazing species and we are one of them,” she said.
NASA’s Curiosity rover has lifted its mast and used its high navigation cameras for the first time.
The robot vehicle has returned black and white images that capture part of its own body, its shadow on the ground and views off to the horizon.
Spectacular relief – the rim cliffs of the crater in which the rover landed – can be seen in the distance.
Curiosity – also known as the Mars Science Laboratory, MSL – put down on the Red Planet on Monday (GMT).
The NASA mission came to rest on the floor of a deep depression on Mars’ equator known as Gale Crater, close to a 5.5 km-high mountain.
The plan eventually is to take the robot to the base of this mountain where it is expected to find rocks that were laid down billions of years ago in the presence of liquid water.
Curiosity rover on Mars has returned black and white images that capture part of its own body, its shadow on the ground and views off to the horizon
Curiosity will probe these sediments for evidence that past environments on Mars could once have favored microbial life.
Since its landing, engineers have been running through a list of health checks and equipment tests.
These have included deploying a high-gain antenna to provide a data link to Earth additional to the UHF satellite relays it uses most of the time. This antenna failed to point correctly at first, but the problem has now been fixed.
The mast was stowed for the journey to Mars, lying flat on the deck of the rover.
Raising it into the vertical was the main task of Sol 2 – the second full Martian day of surface operations.
Locked in the upright position, the masthead and its cameras stand some 2m above the ground.
Curiosity has two pairs of black and white, greyscale, navigation cameras which can acquire stereo imagery to help the rover pick a path across the surface.
These Navcams sit just to the side of two science cameras – one wideangle, one telephoto. It is these Mastcams that will provide the really exquisite, true color views of the Martian landscape. We should see something of their output following Sol 3.
Most of the pictures we have seen so far have been low-resolution thumbnails – easy to downlink. But we are now starting to get one or two hi-res versions also.
Mike Malin, the principal investigator on Mardi (Mars Descent Imager), has released a detailed view taken of the heatshield as it fell away from the rover’s capsule during Monday’s entry descent and landing (EDL).
Eventually hundreds of Mardi pictures will be run together to make a movie of the descent.
With the rover now on the ground and Mardi still pointing downwards, Mike Malin has also got a good shot of the gravel surface under the vehicle.
One instrument on the rover has already had a chance to gather some data. This is the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD).
Indeed, this instrument has acquired quite a lot of data so far, as it was working for periods even during the rover’s cruise to Mars.
It is endeavoring to characterize the flux of high-energy atomic and subatomic particles reaching Mars from the Sun and distant exploded stars.
This radiation would be hazardous to any microbes alive on the planet today, but would also constitute a threat to the health of any future astronauts on the Red Planet.
In other news, NASA reports it has now found more components of the landing system discarded by the rover during EDL.
These are a set of six tungsten blocks that the rover’s capsule ejected to shift its centre of mass and help guide its flight through the atmosphere.
Satellite imagery has identified the line of craters these blocks made when they slammed into the ground about 12 km from Curiosity’s eventual landing position.
NASA has also confirmed the precise timing of Monday’s touchdown.
The rover’s computer put this at 05:17:57 UTC on Mars. With a one-way light-travel time of 13 minutes and 48 seconds to cover the 250 million km to Earth, this equates to a receive time here at mission control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of 05:31:45 UTC (GMT).
Kourtney Kardashian has delighted her millions of fans worldwide by introducing her gorgeous little girl Penelope Scotland Disick on the front of Us Weekly magazine.
In the accompanying interview, Kourtney Kardashian, who is also mother to two-year-old son Mason with boyfriend Scott Disick, said she was entirely unprepared for the amount of love she would feel for her newborn daughter.
Kourtney Kardashian said: “Nothing could prepare me for how hard I fell in love with her!”
However, there is one person noticeably absent from the magazine cover – Scott. Kourtney Kardashian appears to have decided to concentrate on just herself and her two children in the adorable shot.
Kourtney Kardashian has delighted her millions of fans by introducing her little girl Penelope Scotland Disick on the front of Us Weekly magazine
Kourtney Kardashian gave birth to daughter Penelope Scotland Disick in Los Angeles on July 8th, weighing 7lbs 14oz.
And shortly after the birth, her famous siblings took to Twitter to express their love for the new addition to the family.
Kourtney Kardashian’s sister Khloe wrote an entire blog about how perfect Penelope is, gushing: “I’m an auntie again!!!!!!!!!! As I’m sure you all know, my beautiful big sister gave birth yesterday to the most perfect baby girl you’ve EVER seen – Penelope Scotland Disick!”
She added: “The entire family is literally exploding with joy and have not stopped fawning over our new little girl. And Mason is already loving being a big brother!
“This is just such a special and happy time for my family. Thank you to Kourt and Scott for making such beautiful babies! LOL.”
Kim Kardashian also took to Twitter, writing: “Welcome to the world, Penelope Scotland Disick! Kourtney gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter on Sunday and the whole family is so thrilled to finally meet her!
“She is absolutely perfect! I am so excited to be an aunt again and can’t wait to spoil little Penelope. I know Mason is going to be the best big brother in the whole world. Congratulations Kourtney and Scott. Xo”
Kourtney Kardashian, meanwhile, has remained silent about the new arrival on her own Twitter page, apart from sharing a picture of her new necklace – a two-disc design featuring the letters M and P for Mason and Penelope.
Transformulas Eye Lifting Gel is branded a “wake me up wonder” and the “no-needle eye lift in a tube”, while picking up awards at various beauty product prize-givings and being raved about by industry specialists.
Promising to rid the world of tired and puffy eyes by lifting, tightening and firming the thin skin around them, the cooling gel claims to work immediately, improving moisture levels while tackling the effects of both short and long-term anti-ageing.
The gel also vows to give strained computer eyes (and strained party eyes) the essential relief.
And it appears to actually work.
Transformulas Eye Lifting Gel is branded a “wake me up wonder” and the “no-needle eye lift in a tube”
During trials of the new formula 100% of users found the gel provided an instant lifting effect; 90% saw a significant reduction in fine lines and wrinkles; 70% felt their skin was softer after use, and the same percentage saw a significant reduction in puffiness around the eyes.
Brand founder Rosi Chapman said: “The Transformulas Eye Lifting Gel really is one of our biggest successes, and customers just cannot get enough of this treatment that gives visibly instant and longer term anti-ageing results.
“The new formulation is even more effective and will work hard to repair the advanced signs of ageing such as deep lines, wrinkles and under eye bags that appear around the delicate eye area.”
The skin around the eyes is much thinner and more prone to ageing due to facial expressions.
Containing beech tree bud, Kigelia Africana extract, peptides and anti-oxidants, the gel claims to repair and lift the area’s delicate skin and the plant extracts work by giving the skin more elasticity to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, while other active ingredients have antibacterial properties which help with healing, firming and hydrating.
MDA Show of Strength is still on Labor Day weekend, still features top entertainment and inspiring stories, and still urges viewers to support MDA’s missions of help and hope.
But beyond that, MDA’s annual telecast is a whole new ballgame.
Muscular Dystrophy Association explains how MDA Labor Day Telethon becomes MDA Show of Strength starting with 2012 edition:
“What?
MDA SHOW of STRENGTH is a three-hour entertainment special featuring original performances by A-list entertainers, and special stories about individuals and MDA’s research and services missions.
Why the change?
With literally hundreds of entertainment options at their fingertips, TV viewers are looking for compact shows that tell a story. In addition, the new preproduced format is more attractive to top talent, who often had difficulty arranging to perform live on Labor Day weekend.
MDA Labor Day Telethon becomes MDA Show of Strength starting with 2012 edition
When and where?
Sunday, September 2, 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times, 7 p.m. Central and Mountain; on some 150 “Love Network” stations around the U.S. The show also will be streamed on mda.org. Online extras include exclusive backstage videos.
Who will be profiled on the national show?
See MDA Matters for a complete list of children and adults who will be the subjects of video vignettes.
Will there still be local cutaways from the national broadcast?
You bet. Local broadcasts will showcase individuals, families and MDA sponsors closer to home. In addition, members of the MDA community will make up the audience when the entertainers pretape their performances, bringing a “family feel” to the show.
Has the message changed too?
Never. MDA is still raising money to provide hope (research) and help (clinics, camp, information and support) to people with neuromuscular diseases. And it’s still true that the generosity of the American public is what makes this lifesaving mission possible.
How can you help? Show your strength!
Post about it on your Facebook page, Tweet about it, and tell all your friends to tune in on Sept. 2 and make a donation to MDA.”
Syrian government forces have taken full control of strategic district Salah al-Din in the biggest city, Aleppo, after fierce fighting, state media say.
However, rebel commanders denied they had retreated from the Salah al-Din district, amid reports of a push by army tanks and armored vehicles.
Images have emerged of bodies in shattered buildings, after the bombardment of a town near Aleppo.
Opposition activists reported at least 20 deaths across Syria on Wednesday.
In another development, Jordanian officials confirmed that former Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab had only just crossed into Jordan – two days after his defection was announced.
Syrian government forces have taken full control of strategic district Salah al-Din in the biggest city, Aleppo, after fierce fighting
Activists said he and his family had been hiding in the south of the country and that reports on Monday that he had already left Syria were aimed at throwing government forces off the trail.
State media said government forces had taken full control of Salah al-Din, killing most of the rebels there.
They also reported heavy rebel losses near the historic citadel and in another district.
But a commander from the rebel Free Syrian Army denied that it had withdrawn from Salah al-Din, and said it had launched a counter-attack following the arrival of some 700 reinforcements.
“For an hour and a half the Free Syrian Army has staged a counter-attack and reclaimed three streets out of five seized by regime forces,” Wassel Ayub told AFP news agency by phone.
Another FSA commander, Abdel Jabbar al-Oqaidi, told AFP news agency via Skype: “It is not true the regime army has seized control of the district.
“It is true that there is a barbaric and savage attack.”
A team of Reuters news agency journalists who tried to enter Salah al-Din on Wednesday found that a checkpoint manned by rebel fighters this week had disappeared.
They were told by a lone rebel fighter that the rebels had abandoned their positions. Explosions could be heard as incoming gunfire hit buildings in the area, the Reuters team said.
Journalist Martin Chulov, of the UK’s Guardian newspaper, tweeted from Aleppo that the battle for Salah al-Din would likely decide the fate of the city.
Videos circulated on Syrian social media on Wednesday show people searching the debris of buildings in a town identified as Tal Rifaat, near Aleppo. One clip shows a plane passing overhead followed by an explosion on the ground.
Photos released by Reuters show people recovering body parts from the wreckage. At least one child appears to be among the dead.
Earlier, Amnesty International said satellite images had revealed at least 600 probable artillery impact craters in Anadan, also near Aleppo.
It said any attacks against civilians would be documented so that those responsible could be held accountable.
Bo Guagua, son of sacked Chinese politician Bo Xilai, says the “facts will speak for themselves” when his mother, Gu Kailai, goes on trial for murder.
Bo Guagua said in an e-mail to US broadcaster CNN that he had given a witness statement to Gu Kailai’s defence team.
Gu Kailai will be tried by a court in Hefei on Thursday for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
The case has become one of China’s biggest political scandals in decades.
Gu Kailai, a well-known lawyer, and her aide Zhang Xiaojun are accused of killing Neil Heywood in November 2011 in the city of Chongqing, where Bo Xilai was Communist Party chief.
Bo Guagua, son of sacked Chinese politician Bo Xilai, says the "facts will speak for themselves" when his mother, Gu Kailai, goes on trial for murder
State media said Gu Kailai and her son fell out with Neil Heywood over “economic interests” and that she was worried about “Neil Heywood’s threat to her son’s personal security”.
“As I was cited as a motivating factor for the crimes accused of my mother, I have already submitted my witness statement,” Bo Guagua told CNN.
“I hope that my mother will have the opportunity to review them,” the 24-year-old said.
Bo Guagua, who is believed to be in the US after graduating from Harvard University, did not specify what he wrote in his statement, CNN reports.
State media has called the case against Gu Kailai and her aide “irrefutable and substantial”. She has not been seen in public since April, when the investigation was announced.
British diplomats will be allowed to witness the trial but journalists will not be attending. Gu Kailai is being represented by state-appointed lawyers.
The case comes as China prepares to install a new generation of top leaders at a party congress due later this year, in its 10-yearly leadership transition.
Bo Xilai, who has been sacked from his official positions, had been seen as a strong contender for promotion. He has not been seen in public since April.
Facebook will allow app developers to advertise their products on its members’ mobile-device news feeds.
The network will charge a fee for every time users click on the ads to download the software from elsewhere.
Facebook had previously warned its financial health would suffer if it could not find ways to make money out its mobile users.
Its shares have nearly halved in price since its flotation, costing investors a total of about $50 billion.
Details of the latest move were revealed on the site’s developers blog.
It invites software developers to sign up to a “beta” test in which they can decide whether to target users of Apple’s iOS App Store or Android’s Google Play store.
Facebook will allow app developers to advertise their products on its members' mobile-device news feeds
A “power editor” option can also allow users to be targeted on the basis of what other apps they have downloaded within Facebook.
For example if they have played Disney’s Gardens of Times on their laptop via the network, they might then be offered other hidden-object games when using Facebook’s smartphone app.
If a user clicks on one of the links, they will be redirected to the appropriate app store where they can purchase the software.
Facebook will charge advertisers for every click made, and allows them to set a maximum budget.
The move is Facebook’s latest effort to make money from its mobile users.
It said it had 543 million active members using the site via a mobile phone or tablet at the end of June.
It has previously experimented with a number of other formats, including paid-for “Pages You May Like”.
It also introduced Sponsored Stories to its mobile app earlier in the year.
These are posts created by an advertiser that appear if a “friend” or page the user is connected to shares the material. By paying a fee, the business or organization can increase the likelihood their posts will be seen.
The site’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, said it was making about $500,000 worth of sales through mobile Sponsored Stories every day at the end of June.
“People who use our mobile services are more active Facebook users than people who only use our desktop services,” Mark Zuckerberg said, explaining why it was important for his firm to focus on the sector.
“On average, mobile users are around 20% more likely to use Facebook on any given day.”
The firm’s chief financial officer, David Ebersman, added that daily web views in some developed markets had started to decline in favor of mobile use.
He said this could be why it was experiencing “flat” payment revenues – cash raised by taking a cut of fees charged on its site.
Although Facebook does allow users to download and play games on its mobile apps, most have ignored the option and download third-party titles via Apple or Google’s stores, even if they first heard about the software via Facebook.
“In the past 30 days, we have sent people to the Apple App Store and Google Play 146 million times, via clicks from channels such as news feed, timeline, bookmarks and App Center,” Facebook said in its developers blog.
Madonna has appealed for the release of three members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot during her MDNA show in Moscow.
Madonna told a crowd at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night that she was praying for the women’s freedom.
She briefly wore a balaclava – in a nod to Pussy Riot’s trademark outfits – and had the group’s name on her back.
Prosecutors have called for the women, who are accused of inciting religious hatred, to be jailed for three years.
The judge is expected to start delivering her verdict on 17 August. Announcing the verdict could take days, correspondents say.
Madonna has appealed for the release of three members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot during her MDNA show in Moscow
Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, played a song attacking Russian leader Vladimir Putin in front of the altar of Moscow’s main cathedral on 21 February.
They said it was a reaction to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, publicly backing Vladimir Putin in elections.
Addressing cheering fans at the stadium, Madonna said: “I know there are many sides to every story, and I mean no disrespect to the church or the government, but I think that these three girls – Masha, Katya, Nadya – I think that they have done something courageous.”
“I know that everyone in this auditorium, if you are here as my fan, feels they have the right to be free,” she said.
Other international musicians including Sting and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have also appealed for leniency.
Artist Yoko Ono has spoken out in support of the band.
In a Twitter post, John Lennon’s widow said: “Mr. Putin you are a wise man & don’t need to fight with musicians & their friends.”
In a closing statement to the court on Wednesday, Pussy Riot’s lead singer, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, said the court was carrying out a Stalin-era “political order for repression”.
She said that the authorities had refused to listen to the group, and that it was “not a trial over Pussy Riot but of the entire Russian political system”.
The three women have been sitting inside a glass cage at the courtroom.
Last week, Vladimir Putin, who was re-elected president in March, called for leniency towards the women during a visit to London for the Olympic Games.
There are fears among Russian opposition activists that the trial is part of a crackdown on dissent since Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin, following the biggest anti-government protests in recent Russian history.
Pussy Riot’s performance inside Christ the Saviour Cathedral was captured on video.
The women danced and sang a song which parodies a Christian prayer, imploring the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Vladimir Putin.
Defence lawyer Mark Feygin argued on Tuesday that the case against the women did not stand up because they had been charged with hooliganism under Article 213 of the Russian penal code yet no violence or damage had occurred or been threatened.
None of the local TV stations in the Mobile, Alabama-Pensacola, Florida TV market are expected to broadcast the MDA Labor Day Telethon scheduled for Sunday, September 2nd, according to a list of TV stations currently affiliated with the association on its official website.
This would be the second year in a row that none of the TV stations in the area had plans to broadcast a telethon from MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association).
The MDA Show of Strength (previously known as the MDA Labor Day Telethon, the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon) is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the MDA.
The MDA Show of Strength, previously known as the MDA Labor Day Telethon, is an annual telethon in the US to raise money for the MDA
WJTC-TV was the last local TV station to broadcast telethon programming from the MDA after having done so every year from 1996 to 2010. Afterwards the MDA announced plans to provide telethon affiliates about six hours of programming in 2011 rather than about 21 hours and 30 minutes of programming as they did in previous years. The plans also included providing the entire telethon to the stations on the day before Labor Day from 6:00 p.m until 12:00 a.m rather than from 8:00 p.m. on the day before Labor Day until 5:30 pm. on Labor Day like previous telethons (WJTC-TV usually began broadcasting the telethons on Labor Day rather than the day before).
The telethon for 2012 is now scheduled to be provided for three hours from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. rather than from 5:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. just like the last telethon. Residents of the Mobile, Alabama-Pensacola, Florida TV market may still be able to receive the telethon for 2012 if they have access to WGN America, a cable TV and satellite programming service, or the MDA website with a live video stream of telethon programming.
Khloe Kardashian looked sizzling in a red “mullet” dress as she arrived at the MDA Labor Day Telethon in Los Angeles last night.
Although Khloe Kardashian’s weight has yo-yoed over the years, the 28-year-old certainly looked slimmer than normal as she posed at the CBS Studios.
Her trimmer shape comes after she admitted she’s been hitting the gym a lot with her personal trainer Gunnar Peterson.
Khloe Kardashian tweeted yesterday: “Holy s**t balls that workout was brutal!!!!! But thank you @Gunnar for pushing me through it.”
On Monday, she wrote: “Went hard in the gym today with @gunnar I am going to hurt later.”
Khloe Kardashian looked sizzling in a red “mullet” dress as she arrived at the MDA Labor Day Telethon in Los Angeles last night
Her red carpet appearance came after hit back at weight critics last week.
Khloe Kardashian said: “Still get disgusted by how people judge others by weight. Either <<fat>> or <<skinny>>. Nothing is ever good enough…
“Throwing stones behind a screen. If you must judge a person. Try judging their soul. My brick walls are getting higher and higher.
“U can’t love any1 else until u know how to love urself first. The good, bad, ugly, beautiful…. Love yourself deeply. The rest is easy.”
The youngest Kardashian sister is physically very different from her older sisters.
Kourtney is just 5ft, while Kim is 5ft 2in, compared to statuesque Khloe’s 5ft 10in height.
In an interview last year, Khloe Kardashian admitted she felt “massive” next to her older siblings.
She said: “They are 5 foot and 5 foot 2, so I look massive next to them. Everyone expects me to be 9 feet tall and weigh 200 pounds [when they meet me].
“I had older women tell me, <<You should really work out>>. It really got to me.”
Egyptian army helicopters have fired missiles on suspected Islamist militants in Sinai peninsula, security officials say.
Twenty people were reported killed in Touma village, while the Sheikh Zuwaid area to the west was also hit.
The strikes came after security checkpoints were allegedly attacked by gunmen in the town of al-Arish, leaving a number of people injured.
On Sunday, militants killed 16 Egyptian border guards in the area.
After that attack – the deadliest and most brazen against Egyptian troops in this border region for decades – Israeli forces said they killed some of the militants who broke through into Israel.
There has been a heavy military build-up around al-Arish, correspondents report, and Egypt’s Rafah border crossing to Gaza has been indefinitely closed as security forces hunt the remaining attackers.
Egypt is also reported to have begun sealing off the illicit smuggling tunnels into Gaza.
This is the first time Egypt has fired missiles in Sinai since the 1973 war with Israel, when it attempted to recapture the Sinai peninsula, security officials told Associated Press.
Egyptian army helicopters have fired missiles on suspected Islamist militants in Sinai peninsula
Egyptian military presence in Sinai is limited and requires Israeli approval under the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between the nations which returned Sinai to Egyptian control.
Tensions are very high in the area, where Islamic extremists are said to have gained a foothold in recent months, taking advantage of the security vacuum left after former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year.
A Sinai army commander told Reuters news agency the army had received information that there were many militants in Touma.
“We have succeeded in entering Touma, killed 20 terrorists and destroyed three armored cars belonging to terrorists. Operations are still ongoing,” he told Reuters. State television also reported the deaths.
The attacks came hours after three security checkpoints were attacked in the main regional town of al-Arish.
Locals said rounds of gunfire could be heard just before midnight and telephone lines and the Internet were cut off.
At least four people – including police officers and a civilian – were wounded in those attacks.
The Egyptian soldiers killed in Sunday’s attack were buried on Tuesday in a funeral marked by angry calls for vengeance.
Some protesters chanted slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood, and according to witnesses, tried to assault Prime Minister Hisham Qandil.
Both Israeli and Egyptian officials blamed Sunday’s attack on Islamist militants – though Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, the group to which President Mohammed Mursi belongs, accused the Israeli spy agency Mossad of being responsible.
Israel rejected that claim as “nonsense”.
On Tuesday, Israel handed Egypt six “completely charred” bodies it says are some of the militants behind Sunday’s attack on the Egyptian soldiers, a medical official in al-Arish told AFP news agency. The bodies have not yet been identified.
Israel signalled its approval of Egypt’s strikes, with senior defence official Amos Gilad telling Israel Radio on Wednesday that Egypt was determined to “impose order in Sinai because that is their responsibility… If they don’t remove and uproot [the threat], it will continue to strike”.
The rising violence in the area is a test of credibility for the government of President Mohammed Mursi, correspondents say.
Although it is clear that Israel has approved the build-up of troops around al-Arish, Israel has historically been reluctant to see a large increase in Egyptian troops close to its border.
The Walt Disney Company has reported higher profits in the second quarter of this year, driven by the success of films such as The Avengers.
Net income for the three months to June rose 24% to $1.83 billion from the previous year.
“We had a phenomenal third quarter, delivering the largest quarterly earnings in the history of our company,” said Robert Iger, Disney’s chief executive.
In May, superhero movie The Avengers smashed the record for the biggest US opening weekend, taking $200 million
Revenue at its parks and resorts increased 9% to $3.4 billion.
At its film studio, operating income increased more than six-fold to $313 million.
“Higher worldwide theatrical results reflected the performance of the current quarter releases including Marvel’s The Avengers and Brave compared to Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Cars 2 in the prior-year quarter,” the media giant said.
In May, superhero movie The Avengers smashed the record for the biggest US opening weekend, taking $200 million.
Operating income at Cable Networks increased due to growth at the Disney and ABC Family channels in the US, offsetting a drop at sports channel ESPN.
Its theme park in Paris, Euro Disney, is also celebrating its 20-year anniversary.
Philippine officials say that at least 16 people have died in severe floods in the capital, Manila.
More than 80,000 people are in emergency shelters, as torrential rain left low-lying areas under water.
Soldiers and rescuers are using rubber boats to reach people stranded in their homes, but some are refusing to leave amid fears of looting.
The flooding – neck-deep in some parts of the city – forced the closure of offices and schools around the city.
More than half the amount of rain normally seen in August has fallen in the capital in 24 hours, reports say.
In the worst reported incident of casualties, nine members of one family died after a landslide hit shanty houses in Manila’s Quezon City.
At least 16 people have died in severe floods in Philippine capital, Manila
Others died from drowning and electrocution, according to the country’s disaster response agency. A state of calamity has been issued in at least four areas, it added.
“We’re still on a rescue mode,” said Benito Ramos, head of the country’s disaster response agency.
“Floods are receding in many areas but people are still trapped on their roofs.”
President Benigno Aquino called for the public’s co-operation, warning that the government did not have “infinite capabilities” to deal with the natural disaster.
People are said to be stranded in homes all over the city.
Soldiers, police and volunteers are trying to reach them by boat, but some people are refusing to leave, scared their possessions will be taken by looters.
“The flooding has impacted everyone here. Even if your house did not flood – and ours didn’t – the streets flooded badly and so much of Manila has been impassable and people have been stranded,” said Julie Green, an Australian currently living in Manila.
“All businesses have been closed except for 7-11s and some sari-sari [convenience] stores. Everyone’s stocks are getting quite low now so you have to wake up early and battle the rains to get some food.
“It rained hard again all last night, but it seems now that the rains might have abated. People are starting to come out again.”
Officials have warned that more rain is expected, however, and are urging people to consider their safety first.
Manila and the northern Philippines have been hit by severe weather since Typhoon Saola struck just over a week ago, killing more than 50 people.
The government is better prepared this time than when typhoons hit the country previously – tens of thousands of people have been evacuated, says our correspondent.
Typhoon Ketsana hit the Philippines in September 2009, causing flooding that killed more than 400 people and Typhoon Nestat and Nalgae struck two years later, leaving more than 100 dead.
The current rain and floods are said to be the worst to hit the country since 2009. However, the state weather bureau has said that weather conditions may get better later this week.
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