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George Bush interviewed by granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager on his 88th birthday

Diane A. Wade
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George Bush interviewed by granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager on his 88th birthday

When Jenna Bush Hager interviewed her grandfather, former US President George H.W. Bush about growing old – they both broke down in tears.

Visibly choked up at points throughout the interview, which marked the former President’s 88th birthday, Jenna Bush Hager couldn’t help blubbing when her grandfather read out an emotional poem he’d written for his family.

In the heartbreaking poem George Bush began crying as he told his family: If you need me I’m here.

Before the interview is shown Jenna Bush Hager confessed on NBC’s Today show: “I tried as hard as I possibly could not to cry, but we are the family criers.”

In the revealing interview George Bush told how he still has one more wish he wants to fulfill – to see his great granddaughter grow up.

George Bush said that being around 10-month-old Georgia Bush “just takes me back” and that he longed for more time with her.

He also told how he is not scared of death and looks forward to being reunited in heaven with daughter Robin, who died of leukemia aged four in 1953.

In the seven-minute interview, George Bush was by turns funny, reflective and honest about his life.

He said that being married to wife Barbara, 87, for the last 63 years has been a “challenge and a reward” and that she is a “wonder”.

George Bush said that the couple “rejoice” in their six children, 17 grandchildren and great grandchild Georgia Bush, who arrived last year.

The former President said: “She’s a beautiful girl and she just takes me back. I just wish I were going to be around to see her grow old. I won’t be…

“…I think about death. I wonder what it’s like. There’s people in heaven I want to see, definitely.”

As for who he wants to see first, George Bush said: “It depends if Barbara pre-deceases me.

“Probably go with her, but I think my mum and my father, and maybe Robin our little girl that died.”

When Jenna Bush Hager interviewed her grandfather, former US President George H.W. Bush about growing old - they both broke down in tears
When Jenna Bush Hager interviewed her grandfather, former US President George H.W. Bush about growing old - they both broke down in tears

In the poem, which brought George Bush and Jenna Bush Hager to tears, he writes of how in his life the summer is fading out and the “wind is a little colder” – but that he still has a zest for life.

He writes how he’d love to wind back the clock and overcome his failing health and do all the things he used to.

The final, deeply poignant passage reads: “There’s so much excitement ahead, so many grandkids to watch grow, If you need me I’m here, Devotedly, Dad.”

Asked about how he feels about turning 88, George Bush said: “It’s pretty darn old. I never thought I’d get this old.

“Ageing is alright, better than the alternative, which is not being here.”

With characteristic good humor he added that nowadays he sometimes pretends that he can’t hear what people are saying and just tells them “what?” – just to “keep them on the ball”.

As a Navy pilot George Bush was shot down over the Pacific on September 2nd 1944 but survived and grabbed his “second shot at life” with both hands.

Reflecting on his career he said: “I’m sure I could have done a lot of things better.

“It’s been a fulfilling time with a lot of experiences, including being president of the United States. [That’s] not too shabby.

“I want somebody else to define the legacy. I’ve kind of banned use of the L word. History will point out some of the things I did wrong and some of the things I did right.”

George Bush said one of the things which still stings was the suggestion made by some that he did not try his hardest during his 1993 election defeat to Bill Clinton.

He said it was a “terrible feeling, awful feeling”, adding: “I really wanted to win and worked hard and later people said I didn’t care, it was just crazy.

“I worked my heart out and it was terrible to adjust but then you figure life goes on, just do what the next challenge is.”

Recently George Bush returned to the White House to see the portrait of his son George W. Bush hung close to his own, a ceremony he described as filling him with “awe and wonder”.

Going back into the White House caused “a lot of memories to come flooding back” – but for many people it was George Bush’s brightly socks that were the talking point.

Speaking to NBC George Bush admitted he likes a “colorful sock”, going so far as to describe himself as a “sock man”.

Asked by Jenna Bush Hager if he sees the comparison to Justin Bieber, who also wears bright socks, George Bush said: “Bieb? Is he a sock man. I don’t know much about the Bieber. Never seen him, I don’t know what he does.”

Jenna Bush Hager then sang Justin Bieber’s hit Baby, to which George Bush replied: “Is that his song? I don’t know it. I don’t think I’d like it.”

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Dallas reboot proves ratings hit at its debut episode

Sonia Pantiss
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Dallas reboot proves ratings hit at its debut episode

TNT’s Dallas reboot has proved a hit in the US, with an average of 6.8 million viewers tuning in for its debut episode.

Wednesday’s show secured the highest ratings for the premiere of a scripted series on a cable channel this year.

Shown on TNT, the reboot reunites former Dallas stars Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray as JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen Ewing.

A new generation of Ewings includes former Desperate Housewives actor Jesse Metcalfe.

TNT’s Dallas reboot has proved a hit in the US, with an average of 6.8 million viewers tuning in for its debut episode
TNT’s Dallas reboot has proved a hit in the US, with an average of 6.8 million viewers tuning in for its debut episode

Jesse Metcalfe plays Christopher Ewing who, along with cousin John Ross Ewing (Josh Henderson), continues the legendary family rivalry on Southfork ranch.

The original Dallas, which aired from 1978 to 1991, centred around Ewing brothers JR and Bobby’s long and bitter battle over the family fortune.

US critics gave it mixed reviews, with some accusing the show of “cashing in” on the original, and the actors of turning in “wooden” performances.

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US offer deportation amnesty to young illegal immigrants

Diane A. Wade
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US offer deportation amnesty to young illegal immigrants

The US Department of Homeland Security announces that illegal immigrants who came to America as children may be eligible for work permits and will not be deported.

Under a new plan, those aged between 16 and 30 who have lived in the US continuously for five years would be eligible for amnesty from deportation.

Eligible candidates will also be able to apply for a work permit.

The move is seen as addressing a top priority for many Latino voters in a presidential election year.

The US Department of Homeland Security announces that illegal immigrants who came to America as children may be eligible for work permits and will not be deported
The US Department of Homeland Security announces that illegal immigrants who came to America as children may be eligible for work permits and will not be deported

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said deportation laws were not designed to be “blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case”.

“Discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here,” Janet Napolitano added.

In order to be eligible under the new initiative, illegal immigrants must:

• have arrived in the US when they were under the age of 16

• have lived continuously in the US for at least five years

• must be in school, or have graduated from high school or be honorably discharged veterans of the US military

• have no criminal record

• be under 30 years old.

 

German forest boy Ray is actually a Dutch hoaxer

Diane A. Wade
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German forest boy Ray is actually a Dutch hoaxer

A young man who turned up in Berlin last year saying he had been staying in woods for years is a Dutch 20-year-old who was living in the Netherlands until last September, German police say.

According to German police, his Dutch stepmother identified him from police photos.

His real name is said to be Robin.

The boy called himself “Ray” and was dubbed the “forest boy” by German media.

Forest boy who turned up in Berlin last year saying he had been staying in woods for years is a Dutch 20-year-old who was living in the Netherlands until last September
Forest boy who turned up in Berlin last year saying he had been staying in woods for years is a Dutch 20-year-old who was living in the Netherlands until last September

He had said he and his father had lived in the woods for five years, following the death of his mother in a car crash.

“Ray” told police he had left the forest after his father died and he had buried the body.

But officers failed to locate the remains and said they had doubts about the story.

It is not clear why he left the Netherlands and ended up in Berlin.

He spoke only English and a few words of German at the time, but quickly picked up the language.

German news agency DPA says he was last seen in the Dutch town of Hengelo in September – just days before he surfaced in Berlin.

A Dutch school friend told Dutch television that the man had “personal problems”.

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Will Spain dominate again at the European Championships?

Clyde K. Valle
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Will Spain dominate again at the European Championships?

In recent years, all other major football nations have been playing catch up as they attempt to find a way of coping with the brilliance of the Spanish team. The combination of brilliant technique, fast pass-and-move football, and robust physical presence on the ball has made the Spanish team appear almost unstoppable over the last half decade. Having first captured the European Championships in 2008, to overcome the psychological nightmare of decades of underachievement, they went on to clinch the World Cup two years later and cement their status as the dominant force in international football. So with another major tournament in full swing, the question those watching the games and/or those involved with Euro 2012 Football Betting on sites like Bwin are asking is: will this domination continue?

Spain_and_Portugal_match_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup_2010-06-29_5

When looking at the all-conquering achievements of the Spanish national team over the last half decade, it should be noted that this has been paralleled by a similar dominance in club football of the Spanish side Barcelona. Perhaps the apex of this was the final of the Champions League in 2011, when Barcelona took on the best team in England – Manchester United – and made them look second rate. However this season has seen frailties begin to appear in Barcelona’s armory, as they failed to win their domestic league and were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals. When you consider that Spain’s other major team – Real Madrid – also fell at the same stage, this may offer some hope to the other teams.

Throw in the continued problems being experienced by Fernando Torres, and this is further grounds to think that Spain may not have things all their own way. However, we must keep things in perspective: Torres was struggling in 2010 and Spain still won the World Cup, while Champions League semi-final appearances by both Barcelona and Real Madrid hardly constitute a collapse in Spanish domestic football. The biggest encouragement for those hoping for a genuine challenger to Spain comes in the form of the strength of other sides – most notably Germany and the Netherlands – rather than the weakness of Spain.

Mitt Romney campaign receives $10M donation from Newt Gingrich’s backer Sheldon Adelson

Diane A. Wade
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Mitt Romney campaign receives $10M donation from Newt Gingrich’s backer Sheldon Adelson

Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino boss, who was one of Newt Gingrich’s top backers, has become Mitt Romney’s largest donor.

Sheldon Adelson has handed a $10 million donation to Restore Our Future, a super PAC devoted to the election campaign of the former Massachusetts governor, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While the gift could make a big difference to Mitt Romney’s election hopes, it is little more than a drop in the ocean for Sheldon Adelson, whose fortune is believed to add up to $20 billion.

Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino boss, who was one of Newt Gingrich's top backers, has become Mitt Romney's largest donor
Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino boss, who was one of Newt Gingrich's top backers, has become Mitt Romney's largest donor

Sheldon Adelson made his fortune with Las Vegas Sands, which owns enormous casinos in Macau and Singapore as well as in Las Vegas.

The tycoon was by far the biggest supporter of Newt Gingrich’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, propping it up almost single-handedly with around $21 million worth of funding.

Sheldon Adelson, who appears to be primarily motivated by support for Israel, has apparently pledged to give a total of $100 million to Republicans this election year.

 

Barack Obama combines official duties with campaign events in New York and charges taxpayers

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama combines official duties with campaign events in New York and charges taxpayers

US President Barack Obama had a busy day yesterday as he appeared at not just one, but two A-list fundraising events in Manhattan – raising a total of $4.5 million.

However, Barack Obama’s re-election campaign will not have to pay the full cost of his jaunt to New York City, because he combined the trip with an official event which will be charged to the taxpayers.

Before the fundraisers, one at Sarah Jessica Parker’s house and one at the five-star Plaza Hotel, Barack Obama scheduled a visit to the World Trade Center site.

Following his visits across New York Barack Obama headed home to the White House in Washington DC aboard the presidential helicopter, Marine One.

Barack Obama has now held more fundraising events than the last six presidents combined, leading to his opponents coining the derisive nickname “Campaigner in Chief”.

He frequently combines the events with his official duties, which allows his re-election campaign to defray the President’s travel costs by charging part of them to the public purse.

For a trip like yesterday’s, involving both official duties and campaign events, a formula is applied so that the campaign pays part of the costs – but it still works out cheaper than making a trip purely for campaigning.

Barack Obama must be accompanied by Secret Service protection and fly on Air Force One at all times for security reasons, further increasing the cost of his travel.

The World Trade Center, which Barack Obama has visited several times before, is a major building project and recipient of generous federal aid, as well as an iconic national memorial.

It is unclear what prompted Barack Obama to return to the site – where he took the chance to hail “the American spirit” – on this occasion.

Before the fundraisers, one at Sarah Jessica Parker's house and one at the five-star Plaza Hotel, Barack Obama scheduled a visit to the World Trade Center site
Before the fundraisers, one at Sarah Jessica Parker's house and one at the five-star Plaza Hotel, Barack Obama scheduled a visit to the World Trade Center site

The intimate dinner at the house of Sarah Jessica Parker and her actor husband Matthew Broderick banked about $2 million, with 50 people paying $40,000 each to attend.

Speaking in a dimly-lit, art-filled room, Barack Obama told supporters they would play a critical role in an election that would determine a vision for the nation’s future.

“You’re the tie-breaker,” he said.

“You’re the ultimate arbiter of which direction this country goes.”

Among the celebrities on hand to hear Barack Obama’s remarks were Oscar winner Meryl Streep, fashion designer Michael Kors and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who moderated a private question-and-answer session between the President and the guests. Matthew Broderick, who was starring in a Broadway musical, was absent.

The night’s second glitzy fundraiser, which included a performance from Mariah Carey and a speech by singer Alicia Keys, yielded the Obama campaign at least $2.5 million.

Some New Yorkers reacted with anger at the prospect of footing the bill for Barack Obama’s fundraising visit to the city.

Much of downtown Manhattan was temporarily sealed off for the duration of Barack Obama’s visit, and the street in the West Village neighborhood where Sarah Jessica Parker’s house is situated was closed to pedestrians.

Some pedestrians bemoaned the disruption caused to the New York streets by the presidential motorcade – Mary Grach told ABC that Barack Obama’s visit was “really inconveniencing a lot of commuters”.

She added: “There has to be a better way to go about it rather than putting out how many thousands of riders out of commission, and having to find another way home.”

In 2004, Democrats criticized George W. Bush for combining fundraisers with official duties, and Republicans have responded in kind this year.

Barack Obama has been furiously fundraising ever since a Supreme Court decision removed most restrictions on spending by super PACs, outside groups which raise money to promote causes and candidates.

The President initially opposed super PACs, but earlier this year he relented and allowed top officials to speak at fundraising events organized by such groups.

The Republican party has officially complained about Barack Obama’s campaign activities.

In a letter, Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee chairman, alleged: “Throughout his administration, but particularly in recent weeks, President Obama has been passing off campaign travel as <<official events>>, thereby allowing taxpayers, rather than his campaign, to pay for his re-election efforts.”

During the 2008 election, Barack Obama declined public money for his campaign, allowing him to raise an unlimited amount privately.

He ended up spending around $730 million, almost double the amount raised by his rival John McCain.

Neither Barack Obama nor his Republican opponent Mitt Romney is expected to take public financing for November’s election.

 

Greece election: parties are making their last pitch for votes ahead of Sunday’s poll

Diane A. Wade
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Greece election: parties are making their last pitch for votes ahead of Sunday’s poll

Parties in Greece are making their last pitch for votes ahead of a repeat election on Sunday seen as crucial to the debt-laden country’s future in the eurozone.

New Democracy, the pro-bailout conservative party which narrowly led at the ballot last month, is due to hold its last big campaign rally.

Syriza, the anti-bailout bloc which surged to second place in May, held its final rally in Athens on Thursday.

Unofficial opinion polls suggest a fall in support for anti-bailout parties.

Under Greek election law, official opinion polls are banned in the two weeks before the election.

Tough austerity measures were attached to the two international bailouts awarded to Greece, an initial package worth 110 billion Euros ($138 billion) in 2010, then a follow-up last year worth 130 billion Euros.

While five of the seven main political groups reject the last bailout, only one – the Communists – wants the country to abandon the euro.

Syriza, the anti-bailout bloc which surged to second place in May, held its final rally in Athens on Thursday
Syriza, the anti-bailout bloc which surged to second place in May, held its final rally in Athens on Thursday

Germany, which has the eurozone’s most powerful economy, insists Greece, like other member-states which have received international bailouts, must abide by the austerity conditions.

German Bundesbank (central bank) chief Jens Weidmann repeated the warning on Friday, adding that the eurozone could not allow any country to “blackmail” it with the threat of financial contagion.

At Thursday’s rally, Syriza leader Alexis Tspiras renewed his pledge to tear up the bailout conditions, which involve drastic spending cuts, tax rises, and labor market and pension reforms.

“The memorandum of bankruptcy will belong to the past on Monday,” he told supporters in Omonia Square.

“Brussels expect us, we are coming on Monday to negotiate over people’s rights, to cancel the bailout.”

He pointed to the huge bank loan package deal between the EU and Spain on Sunday, arguing a bailout was possible without the kind of drastic cuts demanded of Greece.

“Spain negotiated and succeeded in taking financial support without a fiscal consolidation package, despite the lenders’ threats and blackmail,” Alexis Tsipras said.

Interviewed by Spanish daily El Pais, Jens Weidmann called for the eurozone to impose broad conditions on Spain over its loan package, worth up to 100 billion Euros.

He warned that Greece, but also the Irish Republic and Portugal, had been given the impression that this was a “rescue with no conditionality outside the financial system” and this was “already eroding the commitment to the terms of the existing programmes”.

“But foot-dragging on addressing the structural problems will perpetuate the crisis, and the market reaction reflects this concern,” Germany’s top banker said.

On Friday evening, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras is expected to address his supporters in the capital’s Syntagma Square, near the Greek parliament.

Antonis Samaras, who wants to ease the bailout conditions, has accused anti-bailout parties of “playing poker” with Greece.

“There is the path of responsibility, in which you are clear about what you want, and we say we want the euro and re-negotiation [of the bailout],” he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

 

Roger Garaudy, controversial French philosopher, dies at 98

Sonia Pantiss
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Roger Garaudy, controversial French philosopher, dies at 98

French philosopher Roger Garaudy has died on Wednesday, June 13, at the age of 98 at his home in Chennevieres-sur-Marne, near Paris.

An ex-member of the communist party, the controversial philosopher converted to Islam in the 1980s.

Roger Garaudy’s 1996 book The Founding Myths of Israeli Politics denied that the killing of Jews by the Nazis constituted genocide.

Roger Garaudy (Ragaa Garaudy) was given a suspended jail sentence for Holocaust denial in 1998.

French philosopher Roger Garaudy has died on Wednesday, June 13, at the age of 98 at his home in Chennevieres-sur-Marne, near Paris
French philosopher Roger Garaudy has died on Wednesday, June 13, at the age of 98 at his home in Chennevieres-sur-Marne, near Paris

During the war Roger Garaudy joined the French Resistance and later wrote more than 50 books – mainly on political philosophy and Marxism.

He was expelled from the French Communist Party in 1970 after criticising the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Born into a Catholic family, Roger Garaudy initially converted to Protestantism before rejoining the Catholic Church and eventually embracing Islam.

Roger Garaudy will be cremated on Monday, June 18, at Champigny-sur-Marne crematorium at 03:00 p.m.

 

Oldest cave art in Europe: red dots, hand stencils and animal figures from Spain’s caves

James J. Williams
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Oldest cave art in Europe: red dots, hand stencils and animal figures from Spain’s caves

Researchers have found that red dots, hand stencils and animal figures represent the oldest examples yet found of cave art in Europe.

The symbols on the walls at 11 Spanish locations, including the World Heritage sites of Altamira, El Castillo and Tito Bustillo have long been recognized for their antiquity.

But researchers have now used refined dating techniques to get a more accurate determination of their ages.

One motif – a faint red dot – is said to be more than 40,000 years old.

“In Cantabria, [in] El Castillo, we find hand stencils that are formed by blowing paint against the hands pressed against the wall of a cave,” explained Dr. Alistair Pike from Bristol University, UK, and the lead author on a scholarly paper published in the journal Science.

“We find one of these to date older than 37,300 years on <<The Panel of Hands>>, and very nearby there is a red disc made by a very similar technique that dates to older than 40,800 years.

“This now currently is Europe’s oldest dated art by at least 4,000 years,” he told reporters.

Researchers have found that red dots, hand stencils and animal figures represent the oldest examples yet found of cave art in Europe
Researchers have found that red dots, hand stencils and animal figures represent the oldest examples yet found of cave art in Europe

It is arguably also the oldest reliably dated cave art anywhere in the world.

The team arrived at the ages by examining the calcium carbonate (calcite) crusts that had formed on top of the paintings.

This material builds up in the exact same way that stalagmites and stalactites form in a cave.

In the process, the calcite incorporates small numbers of naturally occurring radioactive uranium atoms. These atoms decay into thorium at a very precise rate through the ages, and the ratio of the two different elements in any sample can therefore be used as a kind of clock to time the moment when the calcite crust first formed.

Uranium-thorium dating has been around for decades, but the technique has now been so refined that only a tiny sample is required to get a good result.

This enabled the team to take very thin films of deposits from just above the paint pigments; and because the films were on top, the dates they gave were minimum ages – that is, the paintings had to be at least as old as the calcite deposits, and very probably quite a bit older.

The oldest dates coincide with the first known immigration into Europe of modern humans (Homo sapiens). Before about 41,000 years ago, it is their evolutionary cousins, the Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis), who dominate the continent.

Dr. Alistair Pike’s and colleagues’ work therefore raises some intriguing questions about who might have authored the markings.

If anatomically modern humans were responsible then it means they engaged in the activity almost immediately on their arrival in Europe.

If Neanderthals were the artisans, it adds another layer to our understanding of their capabilities and sophistication.

The great antiquity of the paintings leads co-author Joao Zilhao, a research professor at ICREA, University of Barcelona, to think the Neanderthals produced the motifs. Finding even older paintings than the red dot at El Castillo might confirm that “gut feeling”, he said.

“There is a strong chance that these results imply Neanderthal authorship,” Prof. Joao Zilhao explained.

“But I will not say we have proven it because we haven’t, and it cannot be proven at this time.

“What we have to do now is go back, sample more and find out whether we can indeed get dates older than 42, 43, 44,000.

“There is already a sampling programme going on. We have samples from more sites in Spain, from sites in Portugal and from other caves in Western Europe and so eventually we will be able to sort it out.”

Tracing the origins of abstract throught and behaviors, and the rate at which they developed, are critical to understanding the human story.

The use of symbolism – the ability to let one thing represent another in the mind – is one of those traits that set our animal species apart from all others.

It is what underpins artistic endeavor and also the use of language.

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Olympics 2012: Angelina Jolie invites Kate Middleton to her Olympic party

Lisa.Felice
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Olympics 2012: Angelina Jolie invites Kate Middleton to her Olympic party

Angelina Jolie has invited the Duchess of Cambridge to the Olympics party she is throwing alongside fiancé Brad Pitt.

The Hollywood couple has hired out London’s Victoria and Albert and are hosting an Olympics-themed Night At The Museum.

The party, to take place on 25 July, two days before the official Olympics party, is to be held in honor of sporting heavyweight Muhammad Ali.

The glamorous soiree is intended to raise funds for the couple’s chosen charity, Sports for Peace.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who are currently renting in London while Angelina is filming for her movie, Maleficient (and rumored to be moving to the UK on a more permanent basis) plan to throw open the doors to their $30 million townhouse for the mother of all after-parties.

Angelina Jolie has invited the Duchess of Cambridge to the Olympics party she is throwing alongside fiancé Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie has invited the Duchess of Cambridge to the Olympics party she is throwing alongside fiancé Brad Pitt

A source told the Daily Mirror: “The who’s who of British and American celebrity will be in attendance, and invitees have been ordered not to take any photos from their phones.”

Other invited A-listers include David and Victoria Beckham, Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones and Prince Harry.

Whether Kate Middleton and Prince William accept the invitation remains to be seen but one thing’s for sure, if Kate does make an appearance, all eyes will be on the wardrobe choices of the event’s two leading ladies.

 

Beyonce hints at her reasons behind choosing Blue Ivy name for her daughter

Lisa.Felice
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1
Beyonce hints at her reasons behind choosing Blue Ivy name for her daughter

After much speculation surrounding the name of Beyonce’s daughter with Jay-Z, Blue Ivy, the singer has now hinted at her reasons behind choosing it.

Beyonce, 30, posted a passage on her official Tumblr from Rebecca Solnit’s 2005 novel, A Field Guide to Getting Lost.

The excerpt focuses on the significance of the color blue, beginning: “The world is blue at its edges and in its depths.”

And the final sentence Beyoncé posted seems to summarize the power of the color as it reads: “The light that gets lost, gives us the beauty of the world, so much of which is in the color blue.”

After much speculation surrounding the name of Beyonce’s daughter with Jay-Z, Blue Ivy, the singer has now hinted at her reasons behind choosing it
After much speculation surrounding the name of Beyonce’s daughter with Jay-Z, Blue Ivy, the singer has now hinted at her reasons behind choosing it

A picture of the descriptive words sits on Beyonce’s website above an image of her resting her hand, which is decorated with teal nail varnish, against her cheek.

It seems Beyoncé is a big fan of Rebecca Solnit and the author may have had some influence over the Love on Top singer when it came to naming her first child.

Beyonce posted a passage on her official Tumblr from Rebecca Solnit's 2005 novel, A Field Guide to Getting Lost
Beyonce posted a passage on her official Tumblr from Rebecca Solnit's 2005 novel, A Field Guide to Getting Lost

Blue Ivy was born on January 7 and ever since fans of Beyoncé and Jay-Z have been speculating the symbolism behind the unusual name.

Some have thought it may not be a coincidence that Jay-Z has released three Blueprint albums in the last ten years.

And the color features in the lyrics of the star’s track Go Crazy, where he raps: “My favorite hue is Jay-Z blue.”

Meanwhile it is widely believed that the name Ivy is intended to reference the Roman numeral IV, as the number four bears lots of significance for the power couple.

The pair was married on April 4, 2008 and 4 is the title of Beyoncé’s latest album.

In addition Beyonce’s birthday is September 4 and her hip hop star beau’s is December 4.

 

Kourtney Kardashian gives birth to her second child?

Lisa.Felice
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Kourtney Kardashian gives birth to her second child?

According to new reports, Kourtney Kardashian may have given birth to her second child.

Kourtney Kardashian, 33, tweeted a cryptic message by posting an Instagram photograph on her social networking site on Thursday night.

The image was of a beverage cup from popular take-away restaurant Chick-fil-A.

Accompanying the snap were the words: “Chick-fil-A and a water birth. No big deal.”

Immediately fans responded by congratulating the reality star.

According to new reports, Kourtney Kardashian may have given birth to her second child
According to new reports, Kourtney Kardashian may have given birth to her second child

The last time Kourtney Kardashian, who has been due any day now, was spotted was on Tuesday.

She looked exceptionally chipper in a cute summery smock as she headed out for shopping in sunny California.

The reality star visited Fast Frames store in Woodland Hills shopping area to pick up a Father’s Day gift for Scott Disick.

Scott Disick is the father to her 3-year-old son Mason and to her second child thought to be a girl.

It was first reported that Kourtney Kardashian was expecting a daughter in February.

“Kourtney was hoping for a girl,” an insider told America’s Life & Style.

“She loves having a boy but thinks having a girl would be perfect so she can dress her up and show her the ropes in life.”

Announcing the news of her second pregnancy Kourtney Kardashian told People magazine: “This baby was unexpected, but it’s 100 per cent a blessing.”

Meanwhile she revealed that all the Kardashian clan are going to be interviewed by U.S. chat show host Oprah Winfrey.

The episode will air in America in July following which the first episode of the brand new Keeping Up With The Kardashian series will be screened.

On her website Kourtney Kardashian said: “The whole family is going to be on Oprah’s Next Chapter this Sunday!!!

“We are all sitting down with Oprah Winfrey at my mom’s house for a family interview that will air 8th July on Oprah Winfrey Network.”

 

Feng Jianmei case: city officials apologize to woman forced to have an abortion in the 7th month of pregnancy

Diane A. Wade
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Feng Jianmei case: city officials apologize to woman forced to have an abortion in the 7th month of pregnancy

City officials in Ankang, China, have apologized to Feng Jianmei, the woman who was forced to have an abortion in the seventh month of pregnancy and suspended three people responsible, state media reports.

This came after photos showing a foetus and the mother, Feng Jianmei, shocked web users.

Feng Jianmei was made to undergo the procedure in Shaanxi province in the seventh month of pregnancy, local officials said after investigating.

Chinese law clearly prohibits abortions beyond six months.

The Ankang city government said it decided to suspend three officials in Zhenping county following initial investigations. It also urged the county government to conduct a thorough review of its family planning operations, said Xinhua news.

City officials in Ankang, China, have apologized to Feng Jianmei, the woman who was forced to have an abortion in the seventh month of pregnancy and suspended three people responsible
City officials in Ankang, China, have apologized to Feng Jianmei, the woman who was forced to have an abortion in the seventh month of pregnancy and suspended three people responsible

On Thursday night, the city officials apologized to Feng Jianmei, 27, and her family, the report said.

She was ”forced to terminate her pregnancy” at a hospital in Zhenping on 2 June, said Xinhua.

Officials in Zhenping county claimed she agreed to the abortion because she was not allowed to have a second child by law. She already has a daughter, born in 2007.

But activists said she was forced into the abortion as she could not pay the fine for having a second child.

Rights groups say China’s one-child policy has meant women being coerced into abortions, which Beijing denies.

“Feng Jianmei’s story demonstrates how the One-Child Policy continues to sanction violence against women every day,” said Chai Ling of the US-based activist group All Girls Allowed.

The group says it spoke to Feng Jianmei and her husband Deng Jiyuan after the incident.

Deng Jiyuan said his wife had been forcibly taken to hospital and restrained before the procedure.

Media reports from China say Feng Jianmei has been traumatized by what has happened.

The photos sparked outrage among Internet users.

“This is what they say the Japanese devils and Nazis did. But it’s happening in reality and it is by no means the only case… They [the officials] should be executed,” one reader on news website netease.com said, according to the AFP news agency.

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Graphic warnings on cigarette packs work better than text-only warnings

Kathryn R. Bown
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Graphic warnings on cigarette packs work better than text-only warnings

A US report has found that images of patients on ventilators on cigarette packets help smokers heed the health warnings about smoking.

A study of 200 smokers in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that 83% were able to remember the health warning if it was accompanied by a graphic image.

This compared with a 50% success rate when text-only warnings were viewed.

Using eye-tracking technology, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania measured how long smokers spent viewing each part of a cigarette advertisement containing warning labels.

A US report has found that images of patients on ventilators on cigarette packets help smokers heed the health warnings about smoking
A US report has found that images of patients on ventilators on cigarette packets help smokers heed the health warnings about smoking

After looking at the advertisement, each participant was asked to write down the warning to test how well they remembered the information.

The faster a smoker’s eyes were drawn to the text in the graphic warning and the longer they viewed the image, the more likely they were to remember the information correctly, the study said.

Dr. Andrew Strasser, lead author of the study and associate professor at the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said the findings were important.

“In addition to showing the value of adding a graphic warning label, this research also provides valuable insight into how the warning labels may be effective, which may serve to create more effective warning labels in the future,” said Dr. Andrew Strasser.

Dr. Andrew Strasser said that he hoped graphic warning labels would help people become better informed about the risks of smoking and lead to a decision to stop.

In the US, health officials ordered that graphic warning labels should appear on cigarette packets from September this year, but tobacco companies are challenging the decision in court.

Australia is currently the only country which has so far agreed to plain packaging and a ban on branding on cigarette packets.

 

Alzheimer gene linked to diabetes

Kathryn R. Bown
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Alzheimer gene linked to diabetes

US scientists have recently identified a possible genetic link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

It has been known for some time that people with diabetes have a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s, but not why this is so.

Now researchers writing in Genetics say a study of worms has indicated a known Alzheimer’s gene also plays a role in the way insulin is processed.

Dementia experts said more work in humans was now needed.

US scientists have recently identified a possible genetic link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease
US scientists have recently identified a possible genetic link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

There are medications which can slow the progress of the disease, but none that can halt its progress.

A key indication of Alzheimer’s, which can only be seen after death, is the presence of sticky plaques of amyloid protein in decimated portions of patients’ brains.

Scientists have already found mutations in a gene involved in the processing of amyloid protein in Alzheimer’s which run in families.

In this study, a team from the City College of New York looked at a similar gene in the nematode worms (C. elegans).

These worms are often studied because they, perhaps surprisingly, a useful model for human research.

The researchers, led by Prof. Chris Li, found the gene in the worms also affected the insulin pathway – the chemical reactions involved in its production and processing.

Prof. Chris Li said: “People with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of dementia.

“The insulin pathways are involved in many metabolic processes, including helping to keep the nervous system healthy.”

She said more work was needed to investigate this potential link and its effects further.

Mark Johnston, editor-in-chief of the journal Genetics, said it was “an important discovery”.

“We know there’s a link between Alzheimer’s and diabetes, but until now it was somewhat of a mystery.

“This finding could open new doors for treating and preventing the disease.”

 

Chris Brown and Drake brawl in W.i.P. nightclub in Manhattan over their former flame Rihanna

Lisa.Felice
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Chris Brown and Drake brawl in W.i.P. nightclub in Manhattan over their former flame Rihanna

A bottle-throwing brawl reportedly took place between hip hop stars Chris Brown and Drake in W.i.P nightclub in Manhattan in the early hours of Thursday.

Now police are investigating whether shots were fired during the fight.

Witnesses told the NYPD they heard a gun go off amid the ruckus in the early hours of Thursday, although none said they saw the weapon.

“We are investigating the possibility of gunshots fired at the club,” NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told the New York Daily News.

“We have several eyewitnesses telling detectives they heard what they believed to be shots fired during the disturbance.”

Witnesses claimed the brawl – which saw at least five people hospitalized – came after Chris Brown and Drake scrapped over their former flame, singer Rihanna.

On Thursday night, Chris Brown’s lawyer reportedly gave detectives “physical evidence” allegedly proving Drake was involved in the fight – even though the hip hop artist said he had been outside.

Lawyer Mark Geragos went to the NYPD late on Thursday night to present evidence showing that Drake was one of the aggressors, law enforcement sources have claimed.

Chris Brown is also reportedly being treated as a “witness and victim” rather than a suspect in the melee, which turned the New York City nightclub, W.i.P, into a war zone.

He spoke to detectives about the incident late on Thursday night, yet Drake has not.

There have been conflicting reports about what happened at the SoHo nightspot.

Witnesses claimed the two recording stars started fighting after Chris Brown sent Drake a bottle of champagne as a peace offering – which was promptly snubbed by Drake.

He reportedly sent the bottle back with a note: “I’m f****** the love of your life, deal with it.”

Chris Brown, 23, dated Rihanna until she dumped him after he savagely beat her in 2009. After their breakup, Rihanna was romantically linked with rapper Drake.

The New York Police Department is investigating the fight.

A spokesman said investigators believe Chris Brown, his bodyguard and a woman with him were trying to leave the club about 4:00 a.m. when they were confronted by five members of Drake’s posse.

As they were squaring off, someone – police don’t know who yet – threw a bottle.

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, was not in the group that confronted Chris Brown, said NYPD Lt. John Grimple.

One of the club-goers caught in the middle of the fracas was Hollie C., an Australian tourist who was rushed to Bellevue Hospital after she was smashed in the head with a flying bottle during the fight.

A gruesome photo shows a gash in her head and her face covered with blood. She needed 16 stitches to close the wound.

Hollie C. told TMZ.com she went to W.i.P. with friends on Wednesday night, unaware they were sitting in between two angry rappers and their entourages. Suddenly, all hell broke loose.

“Within a few moments of noticing glass being thrown around, I saw a glass bottle headed towards me, consequently hitting me in the head,” she told TMZ.

“I immediately started to bleed and proceeded to fall in and out of consciousness.”

She was one of eight people treated as a result of the fight. Hollie C. and four others had nothing to do with the bar brawl.

Tony Parker, the French basketball player who was once married to actress Eva Longoria, also claimed he was hurt during the fight.

“I was quietly with my friends when a fight broke out. Bottles started flying everywhere. I tried to protect my girlfriend and I got everything,” Tony Parker told French website Direct Star.

“The cornea is affected. I cannot do anything for seven days. Wear a therapeutic contact lens and I get drops. I was lucky, that I almost had to get stitches.”

Chris Brown posted a picture of a gash on his chin, apparently sustained from the fight with Drake
Chris Brown posted a picture of a gash on his chin, apparently sustained from the fight with Drake

Big Pat, Chris Brown’s bodyguard, was photographed laying in a hospital bed with a bloody wound on his head. He was seen out in Manhattan on Thursday with the cut visible on his head.

Chris Brown was also injured. He posted a picture of a gash on his chin, apparently sustained from the fight with Drake. His female companion was also hurt.

In the wake of the horrific injuries, the New York City Council has called for an emergency meeting with nightclub owners and police to look into policies for selling bottled drinks.

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn released a statement on Friday that read: “I am deeply concerned by reports of the bottle throwing melee that injured more than five people in SoHo this week.

“That is why I have immediately convened an emergency meeting next week between my office, the NYPD, and the nightlife industry.

“The purpose of this meeting is to send a clear message to all nightclub patrons that bottles cannot be used as weapons and to determine if the guidelines surrounding bottle service need to be updated or reworked.”

After Drake snubbed Chris Brown’s bottle of champagne, Brown reportedly flew into a rage and confronted Drake, according to website Global Grind.

Drake allegedly threw a punch but before the singer could retaliate, another man hit Chris Brown in the face with a bottle.

A source told the New York Post: “They were on opposite sides of the room, Drake went over to the middle of the club to talk to someone, then words were exchanged with Chris and his entourage.”

The source said someone from Drake’s entourage, possibly the singer himself, threw a bottle.

“Once the bottle was thrown, all hell broke loose and there were more bottles thrown.”

The fight allegedly kicked off as the last song was playing, just before 4:00 a.m.

Police were already at the scene because it was closing time and that they “were on it in seconds and began getting everyone out of the club”.

Pictures of the aftermath show the club floor strewn with broken glass.

Chris Brown was pulled out of the situation by his own security and helped out of the club while Drake was pulled to the back of the club, the source said. “[Drake] was one of the last out of W.i.P.”

Police were looking at surveillance footage and talking to patrons who witnessed the melee. No arrests have been made and no complaints filed.

In a separate incident, just a day after the brawl, the bar’s owner Jonathan Cantor was arrested after out-of-control music at his other venue, Greenhouse in SoHo, the New York Post reported.

Drake has denied he was involved in “any kind last night at W.i.P.”. His spokeswoman said in a statement: “He was on his way out of the club when the altercation began.”

Chris Brown and Drake have had a war of words since both being romantically attached to Rihanna. The fight will further fuel rumors regarding the closeness of Rihanna to Chris Brown.

Earlier this week the pair partied at the same club for the second time in as many days, leaving within minutes of each other.

TMZ reported the pair was in the club together for around 30 minutes and Chris Brown spent some time with Rihanna at her table.

Sitting in different booths, the couple still “kept a close eye on each other” – and Chris Brown sent her over two bottles of Ace of Spades Champagne.

A video surfaced earlier this week of the pair leaving the club minutes apart.

The lovelorn pair has been linked together several times already this year, after it emerged that they had recorded songs with each other.

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Feng Jianmei injected with Lifannuo to abort her second child in the seventh month of pregnancy

Diane A. Wade
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Feng Jianmei injected with Lifannuo to abort her second child in the seventh month of pregnancy

Grisly photos of Chinese young woman Feng Jianmei as she was lying beside her baby which had been aborted by force in her seventh month of pregnancy have caused outrage in China.

Pictures purporting to show Feng Jianmei and her blood-covered baby have shocked anti-abortion groups in China – and fury is spreading around the world.

The mother told local media that she was forceably injected with a chemical to induce an abortion and her child was stillborn 36 hours later.

Because Feng Jianmei already had a child, she said, local birth-control authorities ordered her to pay a fine of $6,500.

She didn’t have the money, she said, so a team from the local family planning authority in Shannxi province came to collect her from her home and take her to hospital for the forced abortion.

Recounting the horror, Feng Jianmei said she told the family planning department she could not pay the fine because her mother-in-law needed money for cancer treatment.

It was then, she claimed, the authorities began their action against her.

Because Feng Jianmei already had a child, she said, local birth-control authorities ordered her to pay a fine of $6,500
Because Feng Jianmei already had a child, she said, local birth-control authorities ordered her to pay a fine of $6,500

Feng Jianmei said no less than 20 staff from the family planning department came to her home and placed her under arrest.

As they drove her to the hospital for a forced abortion, she began to resist – resulting in her being beaten.

At the hospital she was restrained and given an injection that would be lethal to the foetus. None of her family was allowed to be present during the traumatic time, she said.

Feng Jianmei said that her father-in-law heard about her being taken away but when he rushed to the hospital he was prevented from entering the obstetrics ward.

As outrage spread around anti-abortion groups in China, the authorities strenuously denied Feng Jianmei’s version of the events.

Li Yuongjou, deputy chief of Ankang’s family department, said the reality was that “Feng was not forced to abort”.

He said: “A lot of us tried for days to educate her. She agreed to the abortion herself.”

Li Yuongjou added that in China an abortion is allowed up to 28 weeks, saying: “It’s not illegal to conduct <<medium term>> induction of labor.”

And he admitted, however, that in his town the local target of enforcing the one-child policy had not been achieved for two consecutive years and the authorities were acting more strenuously to see that the target covering 95% of the population was reached.

Local media said it was most likely that Feng Jianmei had been injected with a chemical commonly known as Lifannuo – a powerful bactericide used in the late 1980s and early 1990s when China’s one-child policy was strongly pursued by authorities.

It is not known how Feng Jianmei managed to obtain photos of herself beside the aborted child, but anti-abortion groups said they were convinced the pictures were genuine.

 

Allen Stanford sentenced to 110 years in jail for $7 billion Ponzi scheme

Diane A. Wade
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Allen Stanford sentenced to 110 years in jail for $7 billion Ponzi scheme

Tycoon Allen Stanford has been sentenced to 110 years in jail for operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of more than $7 billion.

The scheme was described as one of the largest in US history.

In court, Allen Stanford denied any guilt, telling the judge at his sentencing hearing: “I did not defraud anybody.”

Allen Stanford, a Texan banker, rose to prominence outside the US when he bankrolled international cricket competitions in the UK and Caribbean.

But after the collapse of his agreement to stage Twenty20 cricket in England, his financial empire began to crumble amid investigations by US regulators.

Forbes Magazine listed him as the 605th richest man in the world in 2006.

Allen Stanford has been sentenced to 110 years in jail for operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of more than $7 billion
Allen Stanford has been sentenced to 110 years in jail for operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of more than $7 billion

However, since his arrest in 2009 he has spent three years in detention after being denied bail.

Allen Stanford’s Ponzi scheme centred on his banking operation based in the Caribbean island nation of Antigua.

Some 30,000 individual investors were swindled, it was alleged. Prosecutors failed to find as much as 92% of the assets Stanford International Bank claimed to have.

In his statement in court on Thursday, which ran for some 40 minutes, he told the judge: “I’m not here to ask for sympathy or forgiveness or to throw myself at your mercy.

“I did not run a Ponzi scheme. I didn’t defraud anybody.”

US District Judge David Hittner, who presided over Allen Stanford’s trial, called his actions “egregious criminal frauds” during the hearing.

Two victims of the scheme spoke during the hearing, including Angela Shaw, who told the court Stanford was worse than convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff because he preyed on middle-class investors.

“He stole more than millions,” Angela Shaw said.

“He stole our lives as we knew them.”

His sentence is 40 years shorter than the jail term handed down to Bernard Madoff, who pleaded guilty in 2009 to a Ponzi scheme targeting wealthy investors.

Allen Stanford was convicted in March on 13 of 14 charges against him, despite his lawyers attempting to shift most of the blame on his chief financial officer.

Prosecutors had asked for a 230-year sentence, with defense lawyers arguing for a lenient term of 44 months.

Three other former executives at Allen Stanford’s company are awaiting trial, while a former Antiguan financial regulator is expected to be extradited to the US for related charges.

While a jury has cleared the way for access to about $330 million in stolen funds sitting in Allen Stanford’s frozen bank accounts across Canada, England and Switzerland, legal wrangling could make it years before investors recover any of that money.

 

Milk fats link to inflammatory bowel diseases

Kathryn R. Bown
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Milk fats link to inflammatory bowel diseases

According to US researchers, the rise of inflammatory bowel diseases could be down to our shifting diets causing a “boom in bad bacteria”.

Mouse experiments detailed in the journal Nature linked certain fats, bacteria in the gut and the onset of inflammatory diseases.

The researchers said the high-fat diet changed the way food was digested and encouraged harmful bacteria.

Microbiologists said modifying gut bacteria might treat the disease.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) include Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. When the gut becomes inflamed it can lead to abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

According to US researchers, the rise of inflammatory bowel diseases could be down to our shifting diets causing a "boom in bad bacteria"
According to US researchers, the rise of inflammatory bowel diseases could be down to our shifting diets causing a "boom in bad bacteria"

The researchers at the University of Chicago said the incidence of the diseases was increasing rapidly.

They used genetically modified mice which were more likely to develop IBDs. One in three developed colitis when fed either low-fat diets or meals high in polyunsaturated fats. This jumped to nearly two in three in those fed a diet high in saturated milk fats, which are in many processed foods.

These saturated fats are hard for the body to digest and it responds by pumping more bile into the gut. This changes the gut environment and leads to a change in the bacteria growing there, the researchers said.

One bacterium in particular, Bilophila wadsworthia, was identified. It thrives in the extra bile produced to break down the fats. It went from being incredibly rare to nearly 6% of all bacteria in the gut in the high-fat diet.

Prof. Eugene Chang, of the University of Chicago, said: “Unfortunately, these can be harmful bacteria. Presented with a rich source of sulphur, they bloom, and when they do, they are capable of activating the immune system of genetically prone individuals.”

However, he said this could lead to possible treatments as the gut bacteria could be “reshaped” without “significantly affecting the lifestyles of individuals who are genetically prone to these diseases”.

 

Allura microfiber hair wrap from Poundland tames your frizzy hair for ever

Diane A. Wade
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Allura microfiber hair wrap from Poundland tames your frizzy hair for ever

Allura microfibre hair wrap, found at bargain chain Poundland in UK for only £1($1.5), is meant to be used to put your hair up and out of the way in the morning while applying make-up, or for keeping wet hair covered after swimming.

But message boards on the internet have been ringing with praise.

“It has made so much difference to the condition of my hair,” raves one poster.

“Leaving my hair to dry in it for a while just makes my hair so much softer.”

Another asserts that it leaves her hair “bouncy and shiny”.

Several insist that it cuts down noticeably on drying time – and, because of this, their hair becomes far less frizzy and damaged by the hot air and brushing involved in blow-drying.

And it seems women are snapping them up. According to Poundland’s trading director David Coxon, the shop sells a quarter of a million of the things every year.

“It has always been a very popular item with our customers. I don’t think they can believe it’s just £1,” he says.

Allura microfibre hair wrap could be found at bargain chain Poundland in UK, for only £1($1.5)
Allura microfibre hair wrap could be found at bargain chain Poundland in UK, for only £1($1.5)

A long white hood, it has a button on one side and a corresponding loop on the tail.

Just tip your hair forward into the hood, twist the material up and over your head and secure the loop over the button.

After you wash your hair, secured it into the hood and let the towel start to work.

After 40 minutes your hair will be noticeably dryer than it would have been using an ordinary towel, glossy and full of body.

And it seems there is sound science behind the microfibre towel effects. Because the fibres are so much smaller than cotton ones, their surface area is larger, enabling it to absorb more water, so your hair dries more quickly.

Even celebrity hairdresser Richard Ward – who tends to the Duchess of Cambridge’s tresses – agrees that a microfibre towel has advantages.

“It’s more absorbent,” he says.

“And, as you’re not rubbing the hair as you would with a normal towel, it’s not getting damaged so it feels softer.”

“However, I think it’s better just to blot-dry your hair gently and then blow-dry it from wet to achieve a long-lasting style.”

 

Feng Jiamei forced to have an abortion in the seventh month of pregnancy with her second child

Diane A. Wade
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10
Feng Jiamei forced to have an abortion in the seventh month of pregnancy with her second child

A picture of a foetus whose mother Feng Jiamei was forced to have an abortion has shocked China web users.

Feng Jiamei, from Shaanxi province, was made to undergo the procedure in the seventh month of pregnancy, local officials said after investigating.

Feng Jiamei was forced into the abortion as she could not pay the fine for having a second child, US-based activists said.

Rights groups say China’s one-child policy has meant women being coerced into abortions, which Beijing denies.

“Feng Jianmei’s story demonstrates how the One-Child Policy continues to sanction violence against women every day,” said Chai Ling of the US-based activist group All Girls Allowed.

Feng Jiamei was forced into the abortion as she could not pay the fine for having a second child, US-based activists said
Feng Jiamei was forced into the abortion as she could not pay the fine for having a second child, US-based activists said

The group says it spoke to Feng Jiamei and her husband Deng Jiyuan after the incident.

Deng Jiyuan said his wife had been forcibly taken to hospital and restrained before the procedure.

Such allegations are nothing new in China, but what has made this one different is a widely circulated photo of the woman lying next to the baby’s corpse.

Media reports from China says Feng Jiamei has been traumatized by what has happened.

Unnamed local officials in Zhenping county – where the incident took place – denied forcing Feng Jiamei to have the abortion, local media reports say.

But a preliminary investigation by the Shaanxi Provincial Population and Family Planning Commission confirmed the forced abortion had taken place.

Without naming Feng Jiamei, it said in a statement that the woman had been seven months pregnant.

“Such practice has seriously violated the relevant policies set by national and provincial family planning commissions, which harmed the image of our family planning work, and caused extremely poor effects in society,” said the statement.

“Based on the findings, we have requested the local government to punish the relevant officers according to law,” it said.

Internet users expressed outrage.

“This is what they say the Japanese devils and Nazis did. But it’s happening in reality and it is by no means the only case… They [the officials] should be executed,” one reader on news website netease.com said, according to the AFP news agency.

Activist Chen Guangcheng, who was put under virtual house arrest for campaigning against forced abortions, fled China to the US last month.

 

Bonobo Genome Has Been Decoded

James J. Williams
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Bonobo Genome Has Been Decoded

Scientists have succeeded to decode the bonobo genome, the biochemical instructions in the ape’s cells that guide the building and maintenance of the animal’s body.

It is the last great ape to have its DNA sequence laid bare, following the chimpanzee, orangutan and gorilla.

Comparisons of all their codes, including the human genome, will shed new light on the biology and evolution of these closely related species.

The sequencing and analysis work is reported in the journal Nature.

It was undertaken by an international team led from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

The samples for study were taken from a female bonobo known as Ulindi which resides in Leipzig zoo.

Scientists have succeeded to decode the bonobo genome, the biochemical instructions in the ape's cells that guide the building and maintenance of the animal's body
Scientists have succeeded to decode the bonobo genome, the biochemical instructions in the ape's cells that guide the building and maintenance of the animal's body

Bonobos (Pan paniscus), together with chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), are the closest living relatives of humans.

If one compares the DNA “letters” in the sequences of all three species, there is only a 1.3% difference between humans and their ape cousins.

The separation between the bonobo and the chimp is smaller still. Only four letters in every thousand is changed.

“Based on the differences that we observe between the genomes, one can actually estimate when the last common ancestor between these species lived,” explained MPI’s Kay Prufer.

“And between chimpanzees and bonobos that is maybe a million years in the past. For the chimps, bonobos, and humans – the common ancestor of all three lived somewhere around four to five million years ago,” he said.

Bonobos and chimpanzees live very near to each other in central Africa, but their populations are separated by the Congo River.

Indeed, it has long been thought that the creation of the river about two million years ago was responsible for the divergence of the species. And the new analysis certainly seems to support that hypothesis, with no significant signal of interbreeding detected in the DNA of the apes.

“It seems there was a very clean split,” said Dr. Kay Prufer.

But as similar as their genomes are, bonobos and chimps do display some quite diverse behaviors.

Chimps are very territorial and resort to aggressive actions to resolve conflicts, whereas bonobos are more placid and will use sex as a tool to settle their differences.

The researchers want to learn something about the origin of these behaviors, and the degree to which they are influenced by genetics.

“That’s the great hope,” said Dr. Kay Prufer.

“If you look at bonobos, chimpanzees and humans, what you can see is that there are some specific characteristics that we share with both of them.

“So, for instance, the non-conceptive sexual behavior is a trait that is certainly shared with bonobos, while the aggressive behavior unfortunately is also a trait that is shared with chimpanzees.

“In a way, it is a question of what the ancestor of all three looked like. Which one actually evolved the new trait here?”

To get at some answers, scientists plan to look more deeply at those parts of the genomes where humans share more similarity to bonobos or chimpanzees. It turns out that that more than 3% of the human genome is more closely related to either the bonobo or the chimpanzee genome than these are to each other.

 

Spain’s borrowing costs at new euro-era record after Moody’s cut

Clyde K. Valle
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Spain’s borrowing costs at new euro-era record after Moody’s cut

Spain’s borrowing costs have risen to another euro-era record, with lenders demanding a higher interest rate.

The yield on benchmark 10-year bonds hit 7% on Thursday morning, a level which many analysts believe is unsustainable in the long term.

It came as Moody’s cut Spain’s credit rating to one notch above “junk” and ahead of an Italian bond auction.

At the weekend, Spain agreed a 100 billion-euro ($126 billion) bailout of its banks by fellow eurozone countries.

It was hoped that the bailout would help calm fears in the financial markets about the strength of Spain’s banks and ease Madrid’s borrowing costs.

Spain's borrowing costs have risen to another euro-era record, with lenders demanding a higher interest rate
Spain's borrowing costs have risen to another euro-era record, with lenders demanding a higher interest rate

However, Moody’s said the eurozone plan to help Spain’s banks would increase the country’s debt burden.

Moody’s cut Spain’s rating from A3 to Baa3 and said it could reduce this further within the next three months.

If Spain is cut to junk, some index-tracking investors would be forced to sell the country’s bonds. This would add to upward pressure on yields and push Spain’s financing costs higher, heightening the risk that the country will need a full-blown bailout.

The difference in the rate between Spanish and safe-haven German 10-year bonds widened to a high of 5.44 percentage points.

“The risk of losing investment grade pressured the differential this morning and left it at historic highs,” analysts at Spanish brokerage Renta 4 said in a market report.

Italy will test market sentiment on Thursday with the sale of up to 4.5 billion Euros of bonds.

On Wednesday, Moody’s also cut its credit rating for Cyprus by two notches, from Ba1 to Ba3. Cypriot banks are heavily exposed to the troubled Greek banking system.

However, it is unclear whether the Cypriot government will seek a loan from its European partners or will instead turn to Russia, who already provided it with a 2.5 billion-euro loan in December.

 

Drug maker employee claims the company is falsifying study results to sell its products

Kathryn R. Bown
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Drug maker employee claims the company is falsifying study results to sell its products

An anonymous author who works in the pharmaceutical industry wrote several anonymous editorials in this weeks British Medical Journal in which they claim:

“Some of the [post-marketing] studies I worked on were not designed to determine the overall risk/benefit balance of the drug in the general population. They were designed to support and disseminate a marketing message.”

According to the writer the process begins as doctors are recruited to find patients who will demonstrate the best results for the company. The doctor is told exactly what to tell patients they should expect and that information is meant to plant the seed of support in the patients mind.

What’s worse, the whistleblower claims that the studies are often molded to fit the expectations of the drug company.

“We occasionally resorted to <<playing>> with the data that had originally failed to show the expected result,” he says.

“This was done by altering the statistical method until any statistical significance was found.”

Drug maker employee claims the company is falsifying study results to sell its products
Drug maker employee claims the company is falsifying study results to sell its products

Negative results are then omitted when it comes to harmful side effects since post-marketing studies do not face the same public scrutiny of pre-approval studies.

The other notes that the false reports are based on a company’s desire to make money over the ten-year period in which their drug is under control of strict patent laws.

Nature examined the authors work and believes they may come from a diabetes background as the editorials focus on post-marketing studies involving insulin drugs meant to fight diabetes.

News of bait-and-switch campaigns involving “post-marketing” studies are nothing new, researchers for years have complained about these so-called “studies” which attempt to overturn accepted problems with drugs that were discovered in pre-study tests.

In the meantime, the companies involved in the authors attacks such as Norvo Nordisk continue to stick behind their products, claiming that their studies involved real-world case studies.

 

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