Louis Sarkozy, the youngest son of French president Nicolas Sarkozy, threw a tomato and other objects at a police woman standing outside Elysee Palace, France’s presidential residence.
Louis Sarkozy, 15, and two friends launched the attack on the female officer from the courtyard of the Elysee Palace in Paris – also hitting the officer in the cheek with a marble.
The female officer filed an official criminal report, but the case was dropped after the hugely embarrassed Nicolas Sarkozy apologized to her in person.
There were accusations that aides close to President Nicolas Sarkozy tried to “hush up” the scandal because he is currently standing for re-election.
Reports of delinquent behavior by Nicolas Sarkozy’s own son could certainly not have come at a worse time for the conservative head of state, who prides himself on his tough law-and-order policies.
It also raised serious questions about the discipline of the presidential children, who are largely kept out of the public eye by Nicolas Sarkozy and his third wife, Carla Bruni.
The tomato was among a volley of marbles and rolled up pieces of paper which went flying over the palace gates on Thursday, hitting the woman as she walked up and down the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore outside.
Louis Sarkozy, the youngest son of French president Nicolas Sarkozy, threw a tomato and other objects at a police woman standing outside Elysee Palace
The woman filed an official report, which led to a high-level enquiry, including a meeting between Paris police chiefs and officers of the Republican Guard, who are directly responsible for the safety of the presidential family.
The director of the Paris prefecture is also said to have become involved, with a Paris police source saying: “A criminal complaint was considered, but the police woman was finally persuaded to drop it.
“In the end she made do with an apology from the President, after being told that Louis and his friends frequently played in the courtyard of the Elysee.
“However, the fact that there is an election campaign in progress clearly played a significant role in the complaint not proceeding.
“It may well have been hushed up to save Mr. Sarkozy embarrassment. These were not childish pranks – Louis is 15-years-old.”
Louis is the son of Nicolas Sarkozy’s second wife, Cecilia Attias, whom he famously divorced within a few months of becoming president in 2007.
Cecilia Attias now lives full time in New York, having remarried, but Louis Sarkozy frequently travels to Paris to see his father.
Nicolas Sarkozy has two older sons, Pierre and Jean, who are frequently involved in scandals linked to their father.
Last month Nicolas Sarkozy spent $47,000 of French taxpayers’ money repatriating Pierre, a 26-year-old DJ, from Ukraine after he fell ill after complaining of “food poisoning” before a nightclub performance.
Five years ago Nicolas Sarkozy was accused of using the police force to help his son Jean, now 27, after he was accused of committing a hit-and-run crime on his scooter.
A motorist claimed that Jean Sarkozy ran into the back of his car in the Place de la Concorde, made an obscene hand gesture and then rode away. Jean Sarkozy was eventually cleared of all charges.
Nicolas Sarkozy has also a baby girl, Giulia, with Carla Bruni. However, France’s First Lady refuses to allow the child to be seen in public, and tends to keep her at a town house well away from the Elysee.
Carla Bruni also has a son, Aurelien, 11, from a previous relationship, and he too is kept well away from the public eye.
Finland-based Rovio Entertainment, the creator of the Angry Birds franchise, has announced its newest game ”Angry Birds Space”, which was developed in cooperation with NASA.
For nearly 3 years, millions of gamers have used physics in the battle between birds and pigs in the video game Angry Birds.
NASA and Rovio are working together to teach people about physics and space exploration through the internationally successful puzzle game.
Game developers have incorporated concepts of human space exploration into the new game. From the weightlessness of space to the gravity wells of nearby planets, players use physics as they explore the various levels of the game set both on planets and in microgravity.
“This collaboration began with a simple Twitter exchange about birds and pigs in space, and it has grown into a tremendous outreach and education opportunity,” said David Weaver, associate administrator for communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“Games are fun and entertaining, but they also can be inspirational and informative. This ongoing collaboration with Rovio and Angry Birds is an exciting way to get people engaged with NASA’s missions of exploration and discovery, and get students energized about future careers in science and technology.”
Rovio Entertainment, the creator of the Angry Birds franchise, has announced its newest game ”Angry Birds Space”, which was developed in cooperation with NASA
Aboard the International Space Station, Flight Engineer Don Pettit of NASA created a video using Angry Birds Space to explain how physics works in space, including demonstrating trajectories in microgravity by catapulting an Angry Bird through the space station. The video was shown this week to an audience at the South by Southwest Conferences and Festivals, an annual convention of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies in Austin, Texas. It is also available on NASA’s website at http://www.nasa.gov.
“We focused on every detail in development of Angry Birds Space to build a special experience for our fans,” said Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer and mighty eagle of Rovio Entertainment.
“I believe we have succeeded well with the game, and we wanted to create something as unique around our launch events. NASA has been the perfect partner for our Angry Birds Space program, and we can’t wait to work with them on creating more compelling educational experiences.”
Whitney Houston was one of the three best voices in the world, said Meatloaf during an interview with Digital Spy.
“I first saw Whitney in London in 1984 in a little room. I can’t remember where it was, but it wasn’t very many people. I was easily 15 feet from her,” Meatloaf said.
Then the singer added: “There’s a lot of great singers – a lot have great vocals. Then there’s singers who know how to give you a song. Mick Jagger’s not a great vocalist, but boy can he sing a song. I don’t think Bono’s a great vocalist but boy does he know how to sell a song. Freddie Mercury was one of the best rock singers in the world.
“But there are three singers that I know that have something ever so slightly different. They have what a professional golfer has… when the ball tees off it goes about 100 feet, then all of a sudden it’s like it’s got little jets on it.
“Aretha Franklin – I saw her live back in a club in Detroit in 1971. She would be singing along, and it’s incredible, then all of a sudden she hits this overdrive and it’s just whoah. Whitney had it. And there’s one other singer that has it that I know of and that’s Adam Lambert. They have that overdrive.”
Whitney Houston was one of the three best voices in the world, said Meatloaf during an interview
“I knew Whitney. I used to go to the Clive [Davis’s pre-Grammys] parties. This year I was in Vancouver and I didn’t want to fly back and I’m glad I didn’t because after finding out I wouldn’t have gone to the party.
“I’m not saying anybody’s wrong for going, but I personally would not have gone. If I would have been here and dressed and ready to go and heard that on the news, I would have stayed home. I couldn’t have gone.
“I’m an emotional kind of guy. When I heard about it, I cried. She had this amazing thing and then to have gone through what she went through on tour. People don’t show compassion anymore. There’s no compassion. There’s no understanding. It’s all about <<me>> and <<what I want>> and <<screw you and who cares what you’re going through>>.
“If I would have paid and gone to see Whitney on the last tour I would have enjoyed it. I would have gone, <<You know what, she’s up here, she’s going for it, she’s trying>>. And confidence is a major, major player for any performer.
“Bruce Springsteen is full of confidence. In his brain he can do no wrong. And that’s great. With Whitney I really believe it was a matter of confidence. Instead of everybody attacking her and tearing her down, she needed to be built up.
“The real fans of Whitney didn’t do that. It’s what I call tourists. They’re not fans, they’re tourists. They buy tickets to come to a show. <<Oh look, Whitney’s here, let’s go out>>. They’re not fans. Fans wouldn’t do that. They’re tourists through the world of life.
“That’s how they are throughout their life. They have no foundation, they have no boundaries, they have no self esteem. They’re miserable. And so, they need to do that. Instead of doing that, Whitney needed to be built up.
“I felt bad for her. Any time I see people struggling on TV with a performance, and you see it all the time, I empathise. I go, <<Oh man, that’s horrible, they can’t hear, the sound’s not right, something’s wrong>>. When Bruce did the Super Bowl everybody praised it. But for two songs he was a quarter of a tone flat for both songs. I just went, <<Hey man, this is good, he’s rockin>>.
“People have a hard time. You don’t put them down for it. You don’t put somebody down because they lost their job and they’re struggling. You don’t write hate mail to them. People need more compassion.”
Meat Loaf last month released his 12th studio album Hell in a Handbasket.
Whitney Houston’s family speaks out about the late singer’s incredible spirit in an emotional interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday’s Oprah’s Next Chapter.
In a March 11 special shot in Atlanta, Oprah Winfrey interviewed those closest to the singer: her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, longtime manager and sister-in-law Patricia Houston and brother Gary Houston.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, spoke first, saying that she still feels her mother’s spirit around her.
“I can sing her music but to hear it right now – I can’t,” Bobbi Kristina said.
“I can hear her voice talking to me in spirit: <<Keep moving baby, I got you>>. I can always hear her with me.”
Furthermore, Bobbi Kristina says although it is hard to keep herself together after Whitney Houston’s death, she’s managing to do it day by day.
“I start crying and deal with it, but then I hear her voice again: <<Keep moving>>,” Bobbi Kristina said.
Patricia Houston spoke next, saying that she thought drugs might eventually play a role in her death.
“The handwriting was on the wall,” Patricia Houston said.
“I would be kidding myself otherwise. But things were really changing with her.”
Furthermore, she said Whitney Houston was really focused on starting the foundation of a career for Bobbi Kristina.
“She loved Krissy with everything she had, and was trying to make things right with her,” Patricia Houston said.
Gary Houston, Whitney Houston's brother said he was shocked to hear that his sister’s life was taken so soon
Gary Houston, Whitney Houston’s brother, also spoke, saying he was shocked to hear that his sister’s life was taken so soon.
“I never thought anything like this would happen,” Gary Houston said.
“I never thought it would be like this, but it always crosses your mind that this can happen.”
Gary Houston also spoke on behalf of his mother Cissy Houston, who declined to participate in the interview.
“I think she’s doing better now,” Gary Houston said.
“But she lost her only daughter. The gift came through her and it’s rough for her.”
The 90-minute television special also touched on Bobbi Kristina’s father, Bobby Brown, who had a tumultuous marriage with Whitney Houston.
While some have accused Bobby Brown of introducing Whitney Houston to drugs, Pat Houston, and Whitney’s brother Gary said that was untrue, and had warm words for Bobby.
“I loved Bobby Brown. Bobby was a good guy,” said Gary Houston.
“I don’t know how good they were for each other.”
Patricia and Gary Houston said Bobbi Kristina has a relationship with her dad, but that the two have not spoken since the funeral.
NATO troops in Afghanistan have been placed on high alert after the Taliban militants vowed to avenge the deaths of 16 innocent civilians killed by a rogue U.S. soldier who opened fire in Kandahar province early Sunday morning.
US officials warned of reprisals after the soldier went on a rampage in villages near a base in Kandahar. Nine children were among those killed.
President Barack Obama phoned his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai to express condolences. But President Hamid Karzai has said the massacre is “unforgivable”.
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said a full investigation is under way.
The soldier, believed to be a staff sergeant, is reported to have walked off his base at around 03:00 a.m. on Sunday.
In the villages of Alkozai and Najeeban, about 500 m from the base, he reportedly broke into three homes.
At one house in Najeeban, 11 people were found shot dead, and some of their bodies set alight. At least three of the child victims are reported to have been killed by a single shot to the head.
The US military said reports indicated that the soldier returned to his base after the shootings and turned himself in. His motives are unclear – there is speculation that he might have been drunk or suffered a mental breakdown. But officers are worried that the attack might have been planned.
The soldier is being detained in Kandahar and the military is treating at least five people wounded in the attacks, officials said.
The detained soldier has not been identified, although US officials quoted by the Associated Press news agency said he was from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, 38 years old, married with two children, and had served three tours in Iraq and was on his first deployment in Afghanistan.
The killings come amid already high anti-US sentiment in Afghanistan following the burning of Korans at a NATO base in Kabul last month.
NATO troops in Afghanistan have been placed on high alert after 16 innocent civilians have been killed by a rogue US soldier
US officials have repeatedly apologized for the incident but they failed to quell a series of protests and attacks that killed at least 30 people and six US troops.
However, the latest incident has damaged already fragile relations between Kabul and Washington.
The Taliban is using the shooting as a propaganda victory, placing President Hamid Karzai in a difficult position.
Angry tribal elders are now demanding an immediate end to US night raids on Afghan homes.
Afghan MPs passed a strong resolution to condemn the killing and demanded an open trial on Afghan soil. However, Afghanistan has signed an agreement with NATO that foreign soldiers should be tried in their own countries.
The killings could further fuel calls for a more rapid withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, US personnel in Afghanistan were warned of possible reprisal attacks.
“The US Embassy in Kabul alerts US citizens in Afghanistan that as a result of a tragic shooting incident in Kandahar province involving a US service member, there is a risk of anti-American feelings and protests in coming days, especially in the eastern and southern provinces,” the embassy said in an emergency statement on its website.
The US embassy in Kabul is restricting the movements of staff in southern Afghanistan until at least 17:00 local time on Monday.
In a statement released by the White House on Sunday, President Obama said: “This incident is tragic and shocking, and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan.”
Afghan officials also fear there will be violent demonstrations and have deployed extra police and troops around Kandahar.
President Hamid Karzai described the killings as the “intentional killing of innocent civilians” and said they could “not be forgiven”.
This is the first time Afghan civilians have been targeted by foreign soldiers in this way.
However, one US soldier was convicted last year on three counts of premeditated murder after leading a rogue “kill team” in Afghanistan.
A recent poll by ABC News and The Washington Post found 60% of Americans believe the war in Afghanistan is not worth its costs. Nearly the same number advocated an early US pullout from the country.
On a previously unannounced trip to Afghanistan, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said she could not be sure German troops would withdraw by 2014 as originally planned, but they were working towards that target.
Startram is a proposed “space train” that could make cheaper journeys beyond Earth’s atmosphere and will allow 4 million people a year to travel to space by 2032, according to its designers.
Startram, designed by one of the inventors of the “magnetic levitation” trains in use in countries such as China, would be a railway driven by superconducting cables suspended in the air by magnetic forces.
Trains would shoot to orbit in seconds in an 80-mile sealed tube – and the scientists behind the $60 billion proposal claim it could revolutionize industry, allowing for cheap space-based solar power and generating unimaginable wealth from mines on asteroids.
“Startram is based on existing maglev technology and basic physics. A motivated nation could build a startram system capable of launching 300,000 tons of payload into orbit for less than $40/kg,” say the space train’s creators.
The system would “shoot” capsules into orbit, accelerating a sealed cargo capsule to a speed of 5 miles per second at 30G using high-powered electromagnets.
“The resources of our own solar system are vast. The energy from the Sun hitting our small planet everyday is roughly 10,000 times our current energy needs. The raw materials locked up in asteroids and comets could support economic growth for millennia to come,” say the scientists.
Startram is a proposed “space train” that could make cheaper journeys beyond Earth's atmosphere and will allow 4 million people a year to travel to space by 2032
Startram’s creators say that it would be the “next great step” for human civilization – and would provide a “safety net” if life on Earth was threatened by wars or disaster.
“A cargo-only version would cost on the order of $20 billion to build and could be completed within 10 years. A people-capable version could be built for $60 billion and be completed within 20 years,” say Startram’s designers, physicists including Dr. James Powell, the co-inventor of “maglev” train systems.
NASA scientists have looked into the technology and pronounced it feasible.
“Human beings are at the dawn of a new age. Either we will become a true spacefaring people, or we will be trapped on an overcrowded, strife-ridden planet with ever-dwindling resources,” say Startram’s creators.
However, the physicists warn: “Startram will necessarily be an international program, otherwise the potential for a expensive and dangerous arms race between nations is too great. Therefore, the must come from you, the people. This is simply too important to leave up to individual nations and militaries.”
Google is set to launch a smaller, cheaper Android rival to Apple’s iPad as early as May.
Made in partnership with tablet-maker Asus, Google’s tablet could sell for as little as $200, and will have a seven-inch screen, according to a leak reported in Digitimes.
Google’s tablet would be a competitor to Amazon’s Kindle Fire – and like Fire, would be built to sell content such as video and music via Google’s own online store.
Google recently rebranded its Android Marketplace as Google Play, streamlining services such as its video store, e-book store and app marketplace, so the timing would make sense.
The company already offers similar Google-branded smartphones, made in collaboration with Samsung.
Made in partnership with tablet-maker Asus, Google’s tablet could sell for as little as $200, and will have a seven-inch screen
Leaks from hi-tech suppliers in the Far East had already hinted that a small, cheap Android “entertainment tablet” might be released in the first half of this year.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt reportedly said: “In the next six months, we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality.”
Apple is rumored to be working on an “iPad Mini” with a similar form factor, according to analyst reports, which could appear in the third quarter this year.
Digitimes also reports that Google spoke to other tablet companies such as HTC before deciding on Asus.
Asus makes the hit EEE Pad Transformer, one of the most distinctive Android devices, and was showing off a seven-inch tablet at CES.
“Asustek’s motivation for cooperating with Google is to win Google’s confidence to facilitate development of its Android-based devices, learn Google’s technology to develop software and content, as well as enter the tablet US market,” said Digitimes.
Apple released a statement saying the supplies of the new iPad, which had been set aside for preorders, have already completely sold out.
The demand means that consumers will only be able to buy the new iPad by queuing at Apple retailers or through one of the company’s authorized resellers, when it is released on March 16.
According to an Apple spokeswoman, customer response to the latest offering had been “off the charts”.
However, Apple refused to release any specific sales figures.
Apple released a statement saying the supplies of the new iPad, which had been set aside for preorders, have already completely sold out
The new iPad preorders have been delayed and will arrive three days after the official launch date.
Apple’s US website now indicates that preorders will ship by March 19 whereas earlier the site had said the newest tablet would arrive at customers’ homes by next Friday.
The delay indicates strong demand for the new iPad, which was announced Wednesday to a positive response from partner companies, analysts and potential customers.
Apple typically has allotments prepared for its online preorders, but they often are depleted within days.
Analysts expect Apple to sell roughly 9 million iPads in the current quarter.
The iPad launch came as Apple reached a rare milestone: the previous week, it was worth more than $500 billion.
Only six other U.S. companies have been worth that much and none have held that valuation for long.
New reports claim that billionaire George Soros has offered his ex-girlfriend Adriana Ferreyr $250,000 to “persuade her” to drop a $50 million lawsuit.
Brazilian actress Adriana Ferreyr, 28, launched legal proceedings against George Soros, 81, in August 2011 after he allegedly broke a promise to buy her a $1.9 million apartment in Manhattan, New York.
The staggering lawsuit said Adriana Ferreyr was emotionally tortured, harassed and abused by George Soros, who denies all the claims – during an alleged fight when he told her he had given the apartment to another lover.
Now it has emerged that, when Adriana Ferreyr threatened to take him to court, George Soros approached his former lover’s lawyer cousin Mauricio Carneiro with a cash offer.
An email obtained by the New York Daily News, from George Soros’ lawyer William Zabel to Mauricio Carnerio, is reported to have made the offer.
It is said to have said: “Pursuant to your conversation with George Soros… I understand you may wish to be helpful with the situation.”
Mauricio Carneiro replied that he “could not be bought” and was “shocked that George called me to offer me $250,000 in order to get my sympathy, get rid of her lawyers and settle the case”.
William Zabel admitted that the email had been sent, but that it was not a bribe.
The lawyer told the New York Daily News: “George had met him before and he liked him. He had reached out to him because he is a lawyer and a relative and he hoped to settle the case before it went to court. It is in no way a bribe.”
Adriana Ferryr broke her silence in August about her 5-year relationship with George Soros, known as the Man Who Broke the Bank of England after making millions during the 1992 UK currency crisis.
Despite their 53-year age gap, Adriana Ferreyr insisted their relationship was “respectful and loveable” before the acrimonious split, followed by her allegations of physical abuse.
Adriana Ferreyr, a former child actor and star of Portuguese McDonald’s commercials, first met George Soros five years ago. She told the New York Post: “For five years, he was my boyfriend. He was respectful and loveable. Then, suddenly, he changed and became cruel. I don’t know why he would do this to me.
“He treated me with a lot of respect. When we first started dating, I would see him every weekend at his house in Bedford. He was very nice, very sweet, very loveable… We travelled and went to St Bart’s.
“As far as I was concerned, this was a proper, loving, committed relationship. He introduced me to people as his girlfriend after a year. We attended events. I met his friends. I met his business associates.
“Some people don’t understand the age difference, but for me, it wasn’t a problem. I wouldn’t go out with a muscular guy who has tattoos, but I wouldn’t call other people strange because they have different taste than me.
“He is a likeable person. He is outspoken. I spent a lot of time with him, and I had a lot of feelings for him. We had a happy, normal relationship.”
George Soros has offered his ex-girlfriend Adriana Ferreyr $250,000 to “persuade her” to drop a $50 million lawsuit
Adriana Ferreyr said she was monogamous during their time together, and was hoping to “settle down” with George Soros, who she said never lavished her with money or gifts during their first few years together.
Eventually, however, Adriana Ferreyr said he offered to buy her an apartment. And she found her “dream home” – a $1.9million condo at 30 E 85th St – just two streets from him.
“I did a lot of research on it. I made sure it was a good investment. I explained to him what good a deal it was, why I loved it, why it would be a great place to live…. He told me, <<I am going to buy it. I am going to do this for you>>,” she said.
Adriana Ferreyr claims the day after they signed off on the paperwork in December, George Soros had a change of heart, and offered the apartment to 39-year-old Tamiko Bolton, described as his “travelling nurse”.
“We were in bed, and he just replied coldly and bluntly that he had given (the apartment) to his other girlfriend. I got emotional and cried… He just said, <<I don’t care>>. I was in bed with him. It was horrifying for me,” Adriana Ferreyr said.
She has also claimed that George Soros slapped her in the face and attempted to choke her as they argued over the property in bed together.
According to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, in the inevitable row which followed: “Soros slapped Ferreyr across the face and proceeded to put his hands around her neck in an attempt to choke her.”
Adrian Ferreyr claims she managed to evade him and picked up a glass lamp to protect herself. George Soros then allegedly grabbed the lamp and tried to hit her with it, narrowly missing.
The actress claims she ran into the office next to George Soros’s bedroom and called police. According to the lawsuit, Adriana Ferreyr claims George Soros twice broke promises to buy her flats in the building – once again after a brief reconciliation.
“When… I saw him again, he was loving. We got back together and started dating again. Then he invited me for tea at his house. He said to me, ‘Go look for an apartment. I owe you an apartment anyway,” the actress told the Post.
Adriana Ferreyr said she found a $4.3 million apartment in the same building. But when she told him about it he pretended to know nothing about it. To make matters worse, Adriana Ferryr and Tamiko Bolton now live in the same New York apartment block.
And after learning his ex was going to rent a flat in the same building anyway, George Soros hired private security men to “follow and intimidate:”her, Adriana Ferreyr claims.
According to Adriana Ferreyr’s suit, George Soros “not only breached his multiple promises…but he proceeded to engage in a deliberate and malicious campaign of extreme and outrageous harassment and intimidation against Ferreyr, which has directly resulted in her suffering and continuing to suffer severe emotional distress and damages”.
Adriana Ferreyr claims their confrontation traumatized her to the point she was “unable to function in her day-to-day life” and that she has since had to have treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Her lawyer, Robert Hantman, said it was unfortunate she had to resort to court action as she had hoped to settle the dispute privately. He said: “It’s 1/7000th of his wealth. She just wants what he promised her.”
George Soros strongly denies the allegations.
William Zabel, George Soros’s lawyer, called the suit “frivolous and entirely without merit”.
Although William Zabel admitted his client had an “on-again, off-again” relationship with Adriana Ferreyr, he said the complaint was “riddled with false charges and is obviously an attempt to extract money from my client, who is known to be a very rich man”.
William Zabel added: “The police investigated the incident referred to and concluded that no assault occurred. George Soros did not slap, choke or throw a lamp at her.”
A source close to George Soros, whose birthday was yesterday, said: “This is nothing but a woman scorned who is out to get paid. These claims are outrageous and he will seek to dismiss them at the earliest opportunity.
“George is dealing with this well – this is a man who survived the Holocaust. The suggestion he attacked her is without merit.”
Adriana Ferreyr remains undetoured.
“George is so powerful he thinks he can get rid of anyone he wants. But I am not going away. I am going to fight,” she told the Post.
George Soros’s private life is rarely touched on in the U.S.
Married and twice divorced, George Soros has five children. In the past few years, his reported girlfriends have included the violinist Jennifer Chun and former Miss Russia Anna Malova.
Dentists warn that children who are encouraged to drink large amounts of fruit juice as part of their “five a day” could be damaging their teeth.
Specialists are concerned that health- conscious parents who regularly give their children juices and smoothies bursting with fruit could be doing long-term damage.
Dr. Kathy Harley, dean of the dental faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons in UK, warned that half of 5-year-olds had signs of wear to their tooth enamel.
She has called on schools to offer milk or water to pupils during breaks instead of fruit juice, which has a high acid content.
Dental erosion, which is irreversible, is caused by acid attacking the surface of teeth – and citrus fruit juices in particular are very acidic.
While fruit juices contain a range of vitamins that are good for your health, they are also often high in natural sugars, which cause tooth decay.
Kathy Harley suggested parents should give their children fruit juice as a treat once a week, for example on Saturdays.
It suggests people drink the juice with a meal as this can help to reduce damage to the teeth.
Drinking more than one glass of juice a day does not count as more than one portion of fruit, as it does not contain the fibre found in the whole fruit.
Juicing or blending fruit releases the sugars inside and is worse for the teeth if drunk frequently.
Dentists warn that children who are encouraged to drink large amounts of fruit juice as part of their “five a day” could be damaging their teeth
Some researchers also say drinking juice slowly can cause more damage to teeth.
Dentists have previously warned that, while tooth decay is less common as more children and adults brush their teeth regularly than in the past, dental erosion is a growing problem due to acidic drinks.
Research published last year by King’s College London Dental Institute, based on a study of 1,000 people aged between 18 and 30, suggested eating an apple could be worse for teeth than drinking a fizzy drink because of the acid it contains.
Experts recommend people continue to eat fruit but drink water afterwards to wash away the acid or eat something containing calcium, such as cheese, which neutralizes acid.
Damien Walmsley, an adviser to the British Dental Association said: “If you are having fruit, keep it to meal times. That [may] go against the [recommendation of] five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but it is not a good idea snacking on it because of the continual drip, drip on to the tooth.”
At least 47 people have been killed in an attack by pro-government militia in the embattled Syrian city of Homs, according to human rights activists.
Women and children are said to among those who were reportedly tortured and killed on Sunday night in the neighborhood of Karm el-Zeytoun.
The Syrian government acknowledged the deaths, but blamed “armed terrorists”.
The attack happened hours after UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan ended his two-day mission to Damascus.
Homs has been under assault for weeks as government forces have tried to root out rebel fighters. Parts of the city are devastated.
The main opposition group, the Syrian National Council (SNC), has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the killings, the AFP news agency reports.
Hundreds of families fled the Karm el-Zaytoun area of the city on Monday after reports of the attack in their neighborhood overnight, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
One activist in Homs, Hadi Abdallah, told the AFP the bodies of 26 children and 21 women were found, some with their throats slit and others bearing stab wounds.
At least 47 people have been killed in an attack by pro-government militia in the embattled Syrian city of Homs
Both the opposition Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) and the Local Coordination Committees (LCC) put the toll at 45.
The SRGC said that some of the victims had been burned alive with heating fuel poured over them and others had their necks and limbs broken.
Mulham al-Jundi, an opposition activist and member of the SNC, said Karm el-Zeytoun was experiencing a military bombardment similar to the one seen in Baba Amr district in recent weeks.
He said government troops were firing rockets from tanks outside the neighborhood, then going in “and killing the families who stay inside these areas”.
Reports are difficult to verify because of tight restrictions on independent media operating in Syria.
Footage posted on YouTube, said to show the bodies of men, women and children killed in the attack, made for grim viewing.
In one video, at least 11 bodies can be seen, including at least four young children covered in blood, he adds.
Syrian state television accused “armed terrorist gangs” of carrying out the killings, saying the bodies had been filmed in an effort to discredit the government.
Both the LCC and the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blame the pro-government Shabiha militia for the attack.
The Shabiha has been blamed for many of the atrocities carried out since the uprising began nearly a year ago.
Activists say their presence has allowed the government to deny any involvement in the most brutal actions against protesters.
Kofi Annan left Syria on Sunday after two days off talks with President Bashar al-Assad, saying he was “optimistic” that a peace deal could be found.
He said he had presented Bashar al-Assad with “concrete proposals” to bring an end to the bloodshed, but gave no hint that a deal was imminent.
Syria will be on the agenda when US Security Council foreign ministers meet in New York later.
The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the sky will reach its closest point in the coming days.
Despite being vastly far from one another in space, the conjunction will make them appear just a few degrees apart in the sky – about the width of a pair of fingers held at arm’s length.
The pairing of Venus and Jupiter can be seen to the west-southwest, shortly after sunset.
Venus is the brighter of the two, and Jupiter will appear to move in a line past it for the rest of the month.
The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the sky will reach its closest point in the coming days
The Slooh network of telescopes will be broadcasting the conjunction live on the web from 02:30 GMT on Monday morning.
This is an active period for planet-watchers. Last Monday, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in more than two years.
But the spectacle is not over. February saw the Moon join the celestial dance with the planetary pair; it will return in late March, appearing to head up and past the descending Jupiter and then Venus.
The most anticipated planetary event for 2012 will be the transit of Venus in early June, when it will appear from some locations on Earth to pass in front of the Sun.
Patricia Houston, Whitney Houston’ sister-in-law, has spoken about the moment she found the singer dead in her hotel room on February 11 during her interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah’s Next Chapter.
Speaking to Oprah Winfrey in her first TV interview since Whitney passed Patricia Houston recounted the events of that fateful day.
Pat Houston explained how Whitney had eaten lunch in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton and she was returning from running an errand when she went to go and see the singer in her room.
Patricia Houston explained: “I headed down the hallway I heard screaming.
“I was going to her room she had been asking for me she had called my phone twice and I was going to see her.
“I headed down the hallway to her room and I heard screams and I saw the hairstylist (Mary) drop to her knees and I kept walking very slowly a woman opened her door.
“I saw the makeup artist drop to her knees and I knew something was wrong I was just numb I walked I told her to dial 911.”
At this point both Patricia Houston and Oprah Winfrey broke down in tears at the emotional story.
After regaining her composure Patricia Houston continued: “I got close and I turn the corner Mary was at the door and she is screaming <<Oh my god>> I told her to stop and I said <<calm down>>.
“When I got into the room I saw Ray [security guard] trying to revive her to the point of exhaustion. I said <<Ray>>, the paramedics were coming in at that point, I said <<Ray let it go>>.
“He said <<I tried>> he was so out of breath I felt so badly for him.”
Patricia Houston, Whitney Houston’ sister-in-law, has spoken about the moment she found the singer dead in her hotel room on February 11 during on Oprah’s Next Chapter
Patricia Houston said Whitney was in the bathtub and had a peaceful look on her face.
Whitney Houston’ sister-in-law explained: “She was in the tub – I don’t know how she got there. They had to pull her out of the tub and were trying to revive her.”
Patricia Houston, who was not only Whitney’s friend but also her manager, said the paramedics asked her to leave.
She said: “I couldn’t leave her and I said don’t touch me please and I saw them cover her up and I knew that that was it. I knew that was it. Just looking at her and watching that I still could not believe it I could not believe it.”
While all this was going on Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown was also at the hotel and was in fact sitting on the balcony of her own hotel room down the hall.
Oprah Winfrey made sure she got the details of that day clear and said: “Mary found her and Mary called Ray who was across the hall and you were the next person in that room?”
Patricia Houston replied: “I believe so yes.”
Describing her relationship with Whitney, Patricia Houston said: “There was a spiritual connection.”
She also said that she felt Whitney Houston’s spirit was still with her and speaking to her – something Whitney’s daughter Bobbi Kristina had spoken of earlier.
Patricia Houston said: “Her spirit is so strong she is always telling me <<I got you I got your back.>>”
Later in the interview Patricia Houston also said that she always feared drugs would end the singer’s life.
Patricia Houston also said she was “kidding herself” to say that she hadn’t worried about the tragic singer’s lifestyle over the years.
Speaking for the first time to Oprah Winfrey, Patricia Houston, who is married to Whitney’s brother Gary, was asked if she thought drugs would end up “taking” Whitney Houston. The “handwriting was kind of on the wall”, she replied.
Whitney was changing how she lived, Patricia Houston said, and “it wasn’t about substance abuse or anything like that relative to the … latter days or anything like that”.
“It was just more of a lifestyle. I was afraid for other things,” Patricia Houston added.
“I saw her chasing a dream, you know, looking for love in all the wrong places.”
Whitney Houston was found unresponsive in a Beverly Hilton hotel room in LA on February 11. The exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed, as toxicology results are still pending.
“Were you always afraid of that day, February 11, showing up in your life?” Oprah Winfrey asked Patricia Houston.
“Were you always afraid of getting a phone call or hearing that this is the day that it’s happened?”
“If things hadn’t changed. But things had, were, changing,” Patricia Houston responded.
“Things were really changing with her. Very much so. … I was afraid for other things.”
Patricia Houston also spoke about the Thursday night before the singer’s death when she Bobbi Kristina and Whitney attended a party together.
At the pre-Grammy event Whitney Houston was said to have had a fight with former American Idol contestant Stacy Francis.
Patricia Houston said she went to the event as “sister protector” and saw Whitney and Stacy exchange angry words but said there was no violence.
Oprah Winfrey also spoke to Whitney Houston’s brother and Patricia’s husband Gary who said he never thought he would have received a call saying his younger sister was dead.
Gary Houston said: “Not this soon I never thought anything like this would happen.”
He also outlined that Whitney Houston’s husband Bobby Brown had been welcome at the funeral and contrary to reports the singer’s family had never not wanted him there – but he said he didn’t know what happened at the funeral, Bobby was said to have stormed out over a seating issue.
Oprah Winfrey asked the couple if either of them had spoken to him.
Patricia Houston said: “He reached out to me a couple of days after the funeral.”
She said Bobby Brown asked after Bobbi Kristina and she said: “I told him she was OK.”
When asked if Bobby Brown and Bobbi Kristina have a relationship, Patricia Houston said she didn’t really know but added that “their last meeting in California was sweet”.
Bobbi Kristina Brown has revealed during her interview with Oprah Winfrey that she is set for a career in acting and singing, just like her mother Whitney Houston.
In the revealing and touching interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah’s Next Chapter, which aired last night, Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, spoke about her mother’s death for the first time.
Bobbi Kristina told Oprah Winfrey that she wants to carry on her mother’s legacy and how she hears her mother’s spirit all the time encouraging her.
The teenager said: “I still have a voice – yeah we are going to do the singing thing, we are going to do the singing and the acting.”
Asked if she felt a burden because of her mother’s extreme talent and success, Bobbi Kristina replied: “It’s a lot of pressure but she prepared me for it.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown also told Oprah Winfrey of her final day and night with her mother, Whitney Houston, before she passed away on February 11, 2012.
Whitney Houston’s daughter explained: “The very last day, it was so early in the morning I went to go and get her I was like, <<Will you come and lay down with me.>>”
She added: “She was rubbing my head and I slept in her arms all day and all night long.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown has revealed during her interview with Oprah Winfrey that she is set for a career in acting and singing, just like her mother Whitney Houston
Bobbi Kristina, daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, was composed throughout the short interview, which took place at her aunt’s house in Atlanta.
She explained how she has surprised herself in coming to terms with her mother’s death.
Bobbi Kristina admitted that months ago if someone had told her this would happen she said: “I would have said I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
But Bobbi Kristina said that she feels her mother is with her and she often speaks to her.
She explained: “I can hear her voice in spirit talking to me <<I’m right here I’ve got you>> I can always feel her with me.”
Bobbi Kristina also said that she can feel her mother’s spirit passing through her body.
She said: “She passes through me all the time.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown, who is currently lives between the home she and Whitney Houston shared in Atlanta and her aunt and uncle’s home, spoke of the close bond she shared with her late mother, she explained they were best friends.
She said: “She wasn’t only a mother she was a best friend, a sister, a comforter – she was this spirit that she has no matter where she was.”
Touching on the speculations and reports that have emerged in the wake of her mother’s death, Bobbi Kristina was quick to defend her mother.
The teenager said: “So many people saying so many other things they don’t know who she really was.”
“All that negativity it’s garbage – that’s not my mother that’s not who she is. In reality I know who she was, her family knows who she was, you know who she was.”
Bobbi Kristina also revealed that she didn’t realize the height of her mother’s fame or her iconic status around the world – until she was gone.
She explained: “I just saw her as mom.
“When I realized that my mom was a worldwide icon was when we did gone on tour and then the funeral and everything.
Sonic blasts applied to the affected area could be the first permanent cure for impotence, claim scientists.
The sound-wave treatment is being hailed as an alternative to drugs such as Viagra and Cialis.
According to the scientists, the medication treats symptoms and the new sonic therapy tackles the cause.
Erectile dysfunction, which affects up to a quarter of men over 40, is most commonly caused by the hardening of the arteries, restricting blood flow.
Pioneers of the ED1000 treatment say the vibrations encourage new blood vessels to form.
Although the treatment sounds discomfiting – it involves directing pressurized sound waves directly on to the genitals – patients have been assured that it is pain-free.
Those undergoing the procedure, which involves 12 quarter-hour sessions over a nine-week period, are told to expect a tapping sensation as 100 blasts of sound waves are delivered each minute, followed by a tingling feeling afterwards.
Pioneers of the ED1000 treatment say the vibrations encourage new blood vessels to form and eventually to cure erectile dysfunction
Two years after the first trials, patients report that it has a long-lasting effect – although it is not understood why sound-waves have such an effect on the tissue that it begins producing new blood vessels.
Similar sonic waves are already used to destroy kidney stones, improve blood flow in heart muscle, and to ease the inflammation of joints.
Doctors in Israel used the same principles to pioneer the technique, but using lower-powered waves.
The treatment is now being offered in the UK for the first time at the private Spire Murrayfield hospital in Edinburgh.
The procedure cost is £1,500 ($2,400), plus consultation fees, for the sessions.
Consultant urological surgeon Roland Donat, who began treating patients last month, said the procedure was a “revolution” in the management of impotence.
Dr. Ronald Donat said: “I read the pilot study and thought, if this works I really want it for my patients.
“The ideal candidates are those who have a physical explanation for their impotence, such as hardened arteries or diabetes. It will not work if the problem is psychological or stress-related. But the results so far are really very encouraging.
“Men can be very severely affected by impotence and it can lead to relationship or self-esteem problems.
“The interesting thing is that the same device and technology is also being used to treat heart patients and those with leg ulcers.”
During initial trials in Israel, 20 men treated using sound-waves noted an improvement in their condition after around seven weeks.
A Pakistani official claimed today that Osama Bin Laden was betrayed by one of his wives who revealed the location of his Pakistan hideaway because she was jealous of his youngest spouse.
Khairiah Saber, the oldest of his five wives, was motivated by revenge because Osama Bin Laden was “bedding” Amal Ahmed Abdel-Fatah al-Sada while she slept in a bedroom on the floor below, according to Shaukat Qadir.
Retired brigadier Shaukat Qadir, who has investigated the U.S. operation which killed Osama Bin Laden in May 2011, also controversially claims that Khairiah Saber may have been working with Al-Qaeda itself.
Shaukat Qadir believes word that “someone very important” was living in Abbottabad got out to the Taliban, Pakistan’s ISI military intelligence service and ultimately the CIA.
He suggests that Al-Qaeda was looking to cash in on the $25 million bounty on his head. But he said he has no proof.
Pakistan claims it had not been warned about the raid, but Shaukat Qadir’s claims suggest elements in the intelligence service may have been aware.
According to the Sunday Times, it was also said that Osama Bin Laden understood what was happening, but had lost the will to live.
Trouble arose when Khairiah Saber, the mother of at least five of Osama Bin Laden’s sons, showed up at the compound in early 2011.
After 9/11, Khairiah Saber spent years under house arrest in Iran until, after her release in 2008, she told Al-Qaeda she wanted to be rejoin her husband, according to Shaukat Qadir.
He said: “Nobody really understood why she should want to come back to him. They had lost contact, there was nothing going on between them – he was bedding only Amal.”
The arrival of Khairiah Saber, a well-educated Saudi in her 60’s, was disruptive, particularly for Amal, Osama Bin Laden’s fifth wife, Siham Sabar, and her 24-year-old son, Khalid.
Shaukat Qadir said: “In the house everyone is suspicious of her and Khalid questions her, saying, <<Why the hell have you come back?>>”
Osama Bin Laden was betrayed by one of his wives who revealed the location of his Pakistan hideaway because she was jealous of his youngest spouse
He doesn’t believe Khairiah Saber had any connection with the CIA, but her arrival in Abbottabad revealed to those hunting Osama Bin Laden that he might be there. “Who else could have led them there?”
His theories go against the U.S version of events which states that Osama Bin Laden was tracked to his secret compound by following a “courier” who was his contact with the terrorist organization.
The picture of Osama Bin Laden’s family life comes after Shaukat Qadir was given rare access to transcripts of Pakistani intelligence’s interrogation of Amal, who was detained in the raid.
Others in the family, crammed into the three-story villa Abbottabad compound where Osama Bin Laden would eventually be killed in a May 2 U.S. raid, were convinced that the eldest wife intended to betray the al-Qaeda leader.
Indeed, the compound where Osama Bin Laden lived since mid-2005 was a crowded place, with 28 residents – including Bin Laden, his three wives, eight of his children and five of his grandchildren.
Osama Bin Laden’s children age range was from 24-year-old son Khalid, who was killed in the raid, to a 3-year-old born during their time in Abbottabad.
His courier, the courier’s brother and their wives and children also lived in the compound.
Osama Bin Laden’s home life was stirred up when Khairiah Saber joined the fray.
There was already bad blood between Khairiah Saber, who married Osama Bin Laden in the late 1980’s, and Amal because of his favoritism for the younger Yemeni woman.
Even ISI officials who questioned Khairiah Saber after the raid were daunted by her.
“She is so aggressive that she borders on being intimidating,” Shaukat Qadir said he was told by an ISI interrogator.
Amal stayed close to Osama Bin Laden as he fled Afghanistan into Pakistan following the 2001 U.S. invasion.
She took an active role in arranging protection for him and Osama Bin Laden wanted her by his side, the tribal leaders told Shaukat Qadir.
Khairiah Saber fled Afghanistan in 2001 into Iran along with other Osama Bin Laden relatives and al-Qaeda figures.
She and others were held under house arrest in Iran until 2010, when Tehran let them leave in a swap for an Iranian diplomat kidnapped in Pakistan’s frontier city of Peshawar.
Khairiah Saber showed up at Abbottabad in February or March 2011 and moved into the villa’s second floor, Amal told her interrogators.
Khalid, Osama Bin Laden’s son with Siham Sabar, was suspicious, according to Amal’s account. He repeatedly asked Khairiah Saber why she had come.
At one point, she told him: “I have one final duty to perform for my husband.” Khalid immediately told his father what she had said and warned that she intended to betray him.
Amal, who shared Khalid’s fears, said Osama Bin Laden was also suspicious but was unconcerned, acting as if fate would decide, according to Shaukat Qadir’s recounting of the interrogation transcript.
There is no evidence Khairiah Saber had any role in Osama Bin Laden’s end. Accounts by Pakistani and U.S. intelligence officials since the May 2 raid have made no mention of her.
Instead, U.S. officials have said the courier inadvertently led the CIA to the Abbottabad villa after they uncovered him in a monitored phone call.
New reports claim that Britney Spears has rejected a $10 million offer to join the next autumn’ season of The X Factor.
Britney Spears allegedly rejected that offer three weeks ago and is instead thinking about an offer to become a resident performer at a Las Vegas hotel like Celine Dion.
It appears that Britney Spears’ camp want $20 million for her to do the job.
A spokeswoman for The X Factor refused to confirm or comment on the speculation.
TV executives at Fox have previously declined to comment on the matter, but insiders say Britney Spears is keen to join the hit show in theory.
There are two vacant spaces to fill alongside Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid after Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger were fired.
Sources have told Us Weekly and Sunday World that Britney Spears has her eye on the job.
Britney Spears has rejected a $10 million offer to join the next autumn’ season of The X Factor
One insider close to newly-engaged Britney Spears told Sunday World: “The timing is perfect. Brit would love to connect with fans on a weekly basis and loves working on TV after several guest appearances on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother.”
Almost 10,000 fans have voted for Britney Spears to appear as a judge on fansite breathheavy.com.
Back in 2008 Britney Spears performed Womanizer on the British version of X Factor – but was heavily criticized for miming.
Fox has still not confirmed who is to replace Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul.
While an appearance by Britney Spears is looking more and more likely, Janet Jackson has declined a potential offer to sit beside Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid on the panel.
British judge and Simon Cowell cohort, Louis Walsh also confirmed that the iconic star was in talks to join the team.
Janet Jackson, 45, told Insider.com that she is “very flattered that X Factor let me know that I was being considered for next season, but it just wouldn’t be possible”.
The singer said that the move would be “unrealistic” as she is already committed to her Number Ones Up Close and Personal Tour.
A representative for Janet Jackson added: “There have been absolutely no meetings between Janet and anyone with regard to X Factor.”
However, in the wake of Whitney Houston’s death, Simon Cowell revealed he had been considering her for a role on the judging panel.
Another name rumored was Beyonce.
But Simon Cowell publicly refuted reports he was offering Beyonce $500 million to sign a five year contract.
Simon Cowell told Extra the budget for the show is $100 million a year and said he would never dream of paying anyone that much money.
Over ninety teenagers have been killed in recent months by Iraqi militias who consider them to be devil worshippers, human rights activists claim.
The young people are described as “Emos”, a term used in the West to refer to youths who listen to rock music and wear alternative clothing.
Reports say that up to 58 teenagers have been beaten to death or shot in the last month, most of them men.
Iraq’s interior ministry recently described Emos as devil worshippers.
In Iraq, the term Emo is also conflated with homosexuality, which although legal is socially and religiously taboo.
Militias in Baghdad’s conservative Shia neighborhood of Sadr City have distributed leaflets with the names of 20 young people they say should be punished.
In a statement on his website, Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr described Emo youths as “crazy and fools”, but said they should be dealt with within the law.
“They are a plague on Muslim society, and those responsible should eliminate them through legal means,” he said.
Over ninety teenagers have been killed in recent months by Iraqi militias who consider them to be devil worshippers, human rights activists claim
Mustafa, a young Iraqi, said he feels “threatened” when he wears black clothing.
“The Iraqi people look at you in a bad way,” he said.
“It is even worse when the Iraqi security for example arrest those in black or in the Emo groups.”
The interior ministry said it had not recorded any anti-gay or anti-emo killings, but said recent murders in Baghdad could be attributed to “revenge, or social, criminal, political or cultural reasons”.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, based in New York, told Agence France Presse that nearly 40 people have been kidnapped, tortured or killed in Iraq since February in a “new surge of anti-gay violence”.
What is “Emo”?
Described as both a cult and sect, its name derives from the word “emotional”.
Its teen followers dress in black, favoring tight jeans, T-shirts, studded belts and sneakers or skater shoes.
Hair is often dyed black and straightened, and worn in a long fringe brushed to one side of the face.
Music also plays a critical role, Emos like guitar-based rock with emotional lyrics – bands such as My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, and Dashboard Confessional are particular favorites.
They regard themselves as a cool, young sub-set of the Goths.
With the trend come accusations of self-harming and suicide – something its followers strongly deny.
Sixteen Afghan civilians, including nine children and three women, have been shot dead by a US soldier in Afghanistan entering their homes in Kandahar province.
The soldier opened fire after suffering a “mental breakdown” early this morning.
He reportedly left his base early in the morning to attack village homes.
The White House voiced “deep concern” and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan promised a rapid inquiry.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has condemned the attack and demanded an explanation from Washington.
In Kandahar’s Panjwai district, local people have gathered near the base to protest about Sunday’s killings, and the US embassy is advising against travel to the area.
Anti-US sentiment is already high in Afghanistan after US troops burnt copies of the Koran last month.
US officials have apologized repeatedly for the incident at a NATO base in Kabul but they failed to quell a series of protests and attacks that killed at least 30 people and six US troops.
The unnamed soldier, thought to be a staff sergeant, is reported to have walked off his base at around 03:00 a.m. local time, then made his way to the nearby villages of Alkozai and Najeeban.
A local resident, Abdul Baqi, told the Associated Press news agency the soldier had apparently opened fire in three different houses.
“When it was happening in the middle of the night, we were inside our houses,” he said.
“I heard gunshots and then silence and then gunshots again.”
Sixteen Afghan civilians, including nine children and three women, have been shot dead by a US soldier in Afghanistan entering their homes in Kandahar province
In one house in Najeeban, the gunman reportedly killed 11 people, setting fire to their bodies before he left.
A relative of the 11 victims, Haji Samad, told Reuters news agency chemicals had been poured over the bodies and set alight.
“I saw that all 11 of my relatives were killed, including my children and grandchildren,” he added, weeping.
An unnamed woman witness in Najeeban said she had heard gunfire at about 02:00. A barking dog was shot dead by the gunman.
She added that the Taliban had not been seen in the area for five months.
At least three of the child victims were killed by a single shot to the head.
Photographs from the scene showed bodies, some of them clearly young children, placed in a vehicle under blankets.
Some reports suggested that more than one soldier was involved in the attack, and a statement by the Taliban accused Afghan security forces of playing a role.
A delegation from the provincial governor’s office has arrived in the village to determine exactly what happened, a spokesman said.
The soldier – who reportedly suffered a breakdown before the attacks – is said to have handed himself over to the US military authorities after carrying out the killings.
In a statement, President Hamid Karzai described the deaths in Kandahar as “intentional murders”.
“When Afghan people are killed deliberately by US forces this action is murder and terror and an unforgivable action,” he said.
President Hamid Karzai has been consulting officials in Kandahar by telephone.
Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said US President Barack Obama had been briefed on the incident. She added: “We are deeply concerned by the initial reports of this incident, and are monitoring the situation closely.”
Gen John R Allen, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said US officials in Afghanistan would work with their Afghan counterparts to investigate what had happened.
“I pledge to all the noble people of Afghanistan my commitment to a rapid and thorough investigation,” he said in a statement.
“This deeply appalling incident in no way represents the values of ISAF and coalition troops or the abiding respect we feel for the Afghan people.”
This is the first time Afghan civilians have been targeted by foreign soldiers in this way.
However, a US soldier was convicted last year on three counts of premeditated murder after leading a rogue “kill team” in Afghanistan.
Kandahar is the Taliban’s spiritual heartland and is considered strategically important because of its international airport, its agricultural and industrial output and its position as one of the country’s main trading hubs.
The province has seen heavy fighting between NATO and Taliban forces over the last five years.
Hamid Karzai said earlier he still expected to sign a strategic partnership with the US in the next couple of months.
He said discussions would continue on the precise role the US would play in Afghanistan after NATO handed over security responsibility to Kabul at the end of 2014.
On Friday, Kabul and Washington reached a deal to transfer US-run prisons in the country to Afghan control.
Concert-goers at Orchestra Hall in Chicago were all stunned Thursday because of two men who were fist fighting in one of the boxes during a Brahms preformance.
Maestro Riccardo Muti was nearly through the second movement of Brahms Symphony No. 2 at the normally staid Chicago Symphony Orchestra when the two patrons went at it.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday that the fight began when a man in his 30’s started punching a 67-year-old man in one of the boxes
“’We heard a rather loud thump,” said Steve Robinson, general manager of Chicago’s classical and folk music station 98.7 WFMT, who was at the performance but didn’t see the fracas.
“It wasn’t so loud that everyone jumped up and ran for the exits.”
Concert-goers at Orchestra Hall in Chicago were all stunned Thursday because of two men who were fist fighting in one of the boxes during a Brahms preformance
Police said the fight was the result of an argument over seats. The older man had a cut on his forehead; the other left before officers arrived.
All the while, the concert went on. Though patrons said Music Director Riccardo Muti gave the two men a sharp, irritated look – one person called it “dagger eyes” – before continuing on with the third movement.
“Mind you, he never stopped conducting,” Steve Robinson said.
“He very gracefully, without missing a beat – literally – he brought (the second movement) to a very quiet and subdued close, while still looking over his left shoulder.”
Egyptian army doctor Ahmed Adel, who was accused of carrying out forced “virginity tests” on women protesters, has been acquitted by a military court in Cairo, state media reports.
Dr. Ahmed Adel was cleared because the judge found contradictions in witness statements, Mena news agency said.
The case was brought by one of the women, Samira Ibrahim, who said the “tests” took place after they had been detained during protests last year.
Demonstrators are gathering to protest the ruling.
The practice drew an outcry after Samira Ibrahim and other women spoke out about their treatment following their arrest during a protest in Tahrir Square in March 2011 – weeks after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.
Samira Ibrahim and other women spoke out about their treatment following their arrest during a protest in Tahrir Square in March 2011, weeks after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak
They said they were forced by the Egyptian army, while in detention, to submit to a five-minute-long so-called virginity test by a male doctor.
The army initially denied such tests had taken place, but a senior general, speaking anonymously, later admitted that they had happened.
Samira Ibrahim launched a legal challenge to prevent such tests happening again, and Cairo’s administrative court eventually ruled that the tests were illegal.
But the woman said, before the trial of Ahmed Adel, that witnesses she hoped would speak in her defense had changed their story at the last minute.
According to Mena news agency, the judge said he made the ruling “from what has been proven in documents and based on my conscience,” adding that he had “not been subjected to any pressures”.
Moebius, as Jean Giraud, one of France’s leading comics artists, was known, has died in Paris at the age of 73 after a long illness.
Jean Giraud drew for more than 50 years, under various names, but was most widely known as Moebius.
Moebius was popular in the US and Japan, working with legend Stan Lee and manga artists, as well as in his homeland.
Jean Giraud also worked on design concepts and storyboards for a number of top science fiction films, including Alien, Tron, The Abyss and The Fifth Element.
Moebius, as Jean Giraud, one of France's leading comics artists, was known, has died in Paris at the age of 73 after a long illness
The artist trained at art school and turned to comics after working as an illustrator in the advertising and fashion industries.
Jean Giraud’s best known work in his native country was probably the Lieutenant Blueberry character but he also worked on the Silver Surfer with Stan Lee.
The Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art staged a major Giraud retrospective in 2010.
