China’s stock market traded lower once again on August 20, despite Beijing’s efforts to calm markets.
China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite was 1.5% down to 3,735.92 points.
The negative open comes after the index had seen strong volatility since the beginning of the week.
Traders appeared not to respond to efforts by the central bank to provide more liquidity to stabilize markets.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was also pulled lower, down 1.6% to 22,794.63 points.
Shares across the rest of Asia also fell on August 20 over worries about China’s slowing growth and volatile equities.
Meanwhile, it was a weak lead from Wall Street overnight where oil companies saw sharp declines after another drop in the price of crude.
The minutes from the July meeting of the Federal Reserve also failed to inspire markets.
The minutes showed policymakers thought conditions for a US rate rise “were approaching”, but there remained worries over inflation and the strength of the global economy.
The region’s largest stock market, Japan, closed down.
Nikkei 225 index ended day down 0.9% at 20,033.52 points.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index finished with a sharp drop of 1.7% to 5,290.50 points.
Shares in the Australian flagship carrier Qantas dropped by more than 6% despite the airline reporting a return to full-year profit earlier in the day.
In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi index finished 1.3% down at 1,914.55 points.
Shannen Doherty has been forced to reveal she has breast cancer after suing her ex-manager for not paying her health-insurance premium last year, People magazine reports.
The news about the Beverly Hills, 90210 star’s medical condition emerged on August 19 after she filed suit against the Los Angeles accounting firm Tanner Mainstain Glynn & Johnson and its former partner, Steven D. Blatt, accusing them of mismanagement.
According to the lawsuit, 44-year-old Shannen Doherty was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in March, and that her doctors told her earlier treatment might have stopped its spread.
Photo Facebook
Shannen Doherty claims that her former business managers failed to pay the premium for her health insurance last year, so it was cancelled. As a result, she couldn’t get health insurance again until the following year, and with no coverage, she didn’t visit her doctors or get a cancer checkup.
Now the cancer has spread and the star likely will have to undergo more drastic treatments, such a mastectomy. Such treatment might not have been necessary if the cancer had been caught as early as possible, Shannen Doherty argues.
Her husband, photographer Kurt Iswarienko, also is suing Tanner Mainstain, accusing them of mismanaging the couple’s money and leading to other financial troubles, including tax audits and liens.
A lawyer representing Tanner Mainstain, Randall Dean, issued a statement on August 19 saying the firm is “saddened” to hear about Shannen Doherty’s diagnosis.
“Tanner Mainstain is saddened to learn that Ms. Doherty is suffering from cancer and wishes her a full recovery. However, the claim that Tanner Mainstain caused her to be uninsured, prevented her from seeking medical care, or somehow contributed to her cancer is patently false. Tanner Mainstain will aggressively defend all of Ms. Doherty’s claims in court,” the statement said.
The southern United States is one of the best places to go camping, as there are plenty of amazing campsites to choose from, all offering their own natural beauty and outdoor activities. Whether you’re planning on flying down or you’re planning a road trip in an RV, Auto Body Now has provided a list of some of the best campsites that you must check out during your journey through these incredible states.
Big Bend National Park in Texas is a great destination for any nature lover, as there’s plenty to do and see while there. Camping gives you the opportunity to really take in all that this unique national park has to offer. Plus, the park is open throughout the year so you can choose any season to step out into the great outdoors.
What makes Big Bend National Park so special? Well, to start, you can check out the majestic Rio Grande River, which provides kayaking, canoeing, and rafting opportunities. You’ll also find many miles of exciting hiking trails that take you through a variety of terrains, from mountains to deserts. And when you settle in for the night, take a look at the gorgeous starlit sky before falling asleep to the peace and quiet that surrounds you.
Grayton Beach State Park
Grayton Beach State Park is located in Florida, and it provides a total of 59 camping locations throughout the campground. You can even bring your pets along for the trip, and each campsite also provides water and electricity so you don’t have to rough it as much as you would at other campsites in the south, though you’ll still need to pack essentials like ice coolers. Outdoor activities are abundant, with everything from kayaking to hiking available, and you can also take in the beauty of Grayton Beach and its warm water.
Great Smokey Mountains National Park
Another prime camping spot is Great Smokey Mountains National Park, which is found in Tennessee. This is a really popular camping destination during the autumn, when the trees are showing off their gorgeous colors against thick forests and rolling hills. However, if you prefer to camp in the summer, you can rest assured that this location will provide plenty of relaxation and peace and quiet as well.
Riding trails allow you to experience horseback riding in the heart of nature, and there are also plenty of camping locations throughout the park that you can choose from, so you can find the ideal spot where you can disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with the natural world.
Everglades National Park
Another great southern campsite is Everglades National Park in Florida, which is the third largest park in the lower 48. You definitely won’t become bored here, as there are plenty of hiking trails, biking trails, and canoeing and kayaking to enjoy among the mangrove forests and freshwater marshes. Plus, the abundant and varied wildlife is definitely worth observing and photographing.
With so many amazing campsites to choose from, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take in all that these southern states have to offer.
A haul of Spanish gold coins from the 18th century that are worth $4.5 million has been discovered by treasure hunters in Florida.
The 350 coins have lain on the Atlantic sea bed off the coast of Florida for the past 300 years.
They are from a fleet of 11 Spanish galleons that sank during a hurricane while making the journey from Cuba to Spain.
Treasure hunting is a popular activity in the waters around Florida.
Photo AFP
The discovery is the second major find by treasure hunters in recent months.
They found about 50 coins worth about $1 million just two months ago.
The 350 coins, which were brought to the surface at the end of July, turned up in just 3.2ft of water close to the shore, buried under the sand.
Under the current law, Florida will keep 20% of value of the find.
William Bartlett, the diver who discovered the coins, declined to say what his cut would be, telling a local newspaper: “I’m just a guy on a boat living the dream.”
Brent Brisben, who owns the rights to the wrecked ships, says the find includes nine rare pieces known as “royal eight escudos”. Only 20 were known to be in existence before this latest find.
Rosie O’Donnell tweeted about Steven Sheerer, the man her daughter Chelsea was found with on Tuesday evening, revealing his criminal past.
The comedian linked to a 2012 article about Steven Sheerer getting charged with third-degree possession of heroin, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to ET, Steven Sheerer was found with 17-year-old Chelsea O’Donnell at a house in the Shore area of New Jersey on August 18.
Rosie O’Donnell had previously revealed that Chelsea, who suffers from mental health issues, had been missing for a week.
According to a Johns Hopkins study, money raised from the Ice Bucket Challenge has significantly boosted research into ALS.
Ice Bucket Challenge campaign went viral during 2014.
They say it has helped them to understand more about a dysfunctional protein – TDP-43 – a mystery scientists have been studying for decades.
ALS is a rare condition affecting the nervous system.
Social media was awash with videos of celebrities and common people pouring cold water over their heads to raise money for ALS in 2014.
More than 17 million people uploaded videos to Facebook, including many celebrities who rose to the challenge, which were then watched by 440 million people worldwide.
Photo Getty Images
The study, published by Johns Hopkins researchers in Science journal last week, credits the Ice Bucket Challenge with helping them to unravel the mystery behind a protein called TDP-43, which in more than 90% of ALS cases is dysfunctional.
“For the past decade we’ve been trying to figure out exactly what it is doing, and now I think we have finally figured it out,” Jonathan Ling, of Johns Hopkins Medicine, said in a YouTube video explaining the university’s latest breakthrough.
“The best part is it can be fixed, so with any luck this could lead to the possibility of a cure or at least a slowing down of this terrible disease,” he continues.
Prof. Philip Wong added: “The money came at a critical time when we needed it.”
However, they warned that the work was ongoing and many current ALS sufferers would not necessarily see the benefits of the research.
In the US, the ALS Association – which represents people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) and all motor neurone disorders – received $115 million in donations during the months of August and September, when the challenge was at its peak.
The ALS Association says the money helped triple the amount it spends on research every year.
More than 12,000 people in the US have a definite diagnosis of ALS, for a prevalence of 3.9 cases per 100,000 persons in the US general population, according to a report on data from the National ALS Registry.
German parliament has voted by a large majority to approve a third bailout deal for Greece.
In total 453 members of parliament voted in favor, while 113 rejected the bailout and 18 abstained.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble earlier warned parliament that it would be “irresponsible” to oppose the €86 billion ($95 billion) package.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right conservative bloc has been divided over the deal.
Prior to the vote nearly 60 of Angela Merkel’s members of parliament had indicated they would vote against the rescue package.
In total 47 members of parliament did not attend the session.
Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrat (CDU) party and its Bavarian CSU allies hold 311 seats in the 631-seat Bundestag. Angela Merkel’s coalition partner, the Social Democrats, supported the deal, as did the opposition Greens.
Last month, 65 CDU/CSU politicians refused to support even starting negotiations for a third bailout.
On August 18, the parliaments of Austria, Estonia and Spain backed the bailout.
The Dutch parliament also debated the bailout on August 19, after anti-EU Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders insisted members of parliament should be recalled from their summer recess.
The vote by German parliament was the final hurdle before the first installment of the package – €13 billion – could be released, in time for Greece to repay €3.2 billion on August 20 to the European Central Bank (ECB).
Doubts remain about the Greek government’s commitment to the bailout conditions because it previously pledged to oppose austerity.
In exchange for the bailout – and keeping Greece in the euro – PM Alexis Tsipras agreed to further painful state sector cuts, including far-reaching pension reforms.
The new loans will be spread over the next three years. The first tranche of €26 billion will include €10 billion to recapitalize Greek banks.
Oscar Pistorius’ early release from prison has been suspended by South Africa’s justice ministry on August 19.
The ministry said the decision to free the Paralympic champion after serving 10 months of his 5-year sentence “was taken prematurely” and with “no legal basis”.
The decision has now been sent back to the parole board for review.
Oscar Pistorius, 28, was convicted of manslaughter last year for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013.
The athlete says he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder.
It is not clear whether the decision on Oscar Pistorius’ early release could be reinstated before August 19, should the parole board meet to review its decision.
Under South African law, the double-amputee athlete is eligible for release under “correctional supervision”, having served a sixth of his sentence.
However, it is the timing of the decision which the justice ministry criticized in a statement: “One sixth of a five year sentence is 10 months and at the time the decision was made Mr. Pistorius had served only over six months of his sentence.”
The justice ministry clarified that it only has the power to overturn decisions made by the parole review board in cases where the convict is serving a life sentence.
Oscar Pistorius was jailed for five years for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp, a charge equivalent to manslaughter.
On August 19 would have been Reeva Steenkamp’s 32nd birthday. Her parents held a small ceremony for her close friends and supporters in her hometown of Port Elizabeth, throwing roses into the sea in her memory.
The intervention by Justice Minister Michael Masutha follows a petition from the Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa, which described Oscar Pistorius’ early release as “outrageous” and “an insult” to victims of abuse.
Reeva Steenkamp’s parents have said that the time Oscar Pistorius has served is “not enough for taking a life”.
This week, prosecutors in South Africa filed papers calling for the athlete’s conviction to be reviewed and converted to murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years. His defense team now has a month to file its response.
After his release from prison, Oscar Pistorius would serve the rest of his term under house arrest.
She was best known for playing Batgirl in the 1960s Batman TV series.
A statement on Yvonne Craig’s official website said the star had suffered from breast cancer, which had spread to her liver.
“In the end, her mind still wanted to fight but her body had given up,” her family said in a statement.
A trained dancer, Yvonne Craig began her career at The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and used those skills to perform her own stunts alongside Adam West’s Batman.
She also played Martha, the green Orion Slave Girl who wanted to kill Captain Kirk, in the third season of Star Trek.
Yvonne Craig also starred in two movies opposite Elvis Presley – It Happened at the World’s Fair and Kissin’ Cousins.
It was her performance as librarian Barbara Gordon, who secretly moonlights as Batgirl, that defined her career.
Photo IMDb
Yvonne Craig joined the TV show in its third and final series in 1967, thwacking and kapow-ing Gotham’s bad guys alongside Batman and Robin.
The show is still seen around the world today, something which came as a surprise to the actress in her later years.
Later in life, Yvonne Craig worked as a estate agent before going into the prepaid phone card business. In 2000, she wrote a book called From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond, which took stock of her career.
More recently, Yvonne Craig provided voices for the Nickelodeon cartoon series Olivia, and was the executive producer on the documentary film Birth.
In the statement on Yvonne Craig’s website, her family said: “Yvonne excelled in ballet, a film career, a business life, as well as in philanthropic and charity work over the years.
“She had been able to do this with joy and much laughter and she wouldn’t have changed a thing. Well, maybe one thing and that would have been not to get cancer.
“She had been in chemo almost continuously for the past two plus years since being diagnosed and that had weakened her immune system as well as her body.
“This didn’t dampen her sense of humor or her spirit, she intended to fight and win this battle. In the end, her mind still wanted to fight but her body had given up.”
The actress died on August 17 at her home in the Pacific Palisades, surrounded by her immediate family.
Yvonne Craig is survived by her husband, Kenneth Aldrich, sister Meridel Carson and nephews Christopher and Todd Carson.
Thailand is in the midst of a drug epidemic. Yaba, derived from methamphetamine, has surpassed heroin as the country’s most dangerous psychoactive enemy number one. “In Thai, ‘Yaba’ means ‘crazy pill’, or even just ‘madness,’” says Viroj Wirachi, director of Thailand’s National Institute on Drug Treatment.
Speaking to a reporter for VICE News, Wirachi says Yaba is a stimulant drug composed primarily of methamphetamine, but each tablet also contains a sizable dose of caffeine. The combination was developed by Nazi scientists during World War II, as an attempt to give Germany’s soldiers the upper hand—after all, who can defeat an enemy that doesn’t need sleep?
The drug is either taken orally or, in the case of heavy users, smoked. “It was kind of like doing coke without the ‘raring to go’ feeling,” writes Trev, posting anonymously about trying Yaba on Erowid.com, “I felt good about myself and had the feeling of well-being and control, also talkative and alert.” Addicts describe the first high as intense, but warn it only gets more fleeting from there. Brain damage has been linked to prolonged abuse of methamphetamine, along with being one of the hardest addiction cycles to break.
LAIZA, KACHIN STATE, MYANMAR – 2010/10/21: Heroin and methamphetamine (“yabaa”) seized during a anti-narcotic operation in Laiza, the main town of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). With its 6,000 troops, the KIA is one of the best organized and equipped armed ethnic groups in Burma (Myanmar). In 1994, the KIA signed a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese junta. In April 2009, in the perspective of the November 7, 2010 general elections, the government ordered to the cease-fire ethnic groups to transform themselves into Border Guard Forces. Some groups have accepted but the most powerful such as the KIA, feeling threatened in their existence, have refused. . (Photo by Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In response to the increased use of yaba and similar stimulants, Thailand has declared a war on drugs that has resulted in over 3,000 deaths so far. According to VICE News, nearly half of those killed had no affiliation to the drug trade.
There have been a few good results from the country’s aggressive anti-drug policies; the number of drugs being smuggled into the country from its neighboring borders has been cut in half. But many in Thailand fear the cycle of violence will only escalate with time. In addition, an estimated eight million addicts remain in Thailand.
On the civilian side, health clinics and outpatient rehab centers do their best to rehabilitate drug users. The results of treatment are, of course, varied; but one drug rehab program is boasting a 70% success rate, and the method used to achieve such a high number is quite unorthodox: group vomiting.
The program is run out of the Wat Tham Krabok Monastery, located on the outskirts of Bangkok. It requires new members to undergo group vomiting sessions in order to cleanse themselves of their addictions. “It’s a means of purging toxins from the body,” says one monk. “Quitting drugs is about mind over matter,” says another, “it’s about your heart and emotions.”
A typical day at Tham Krabok begins around 4:30am, when patients wake up and thoroughly clean the temple. Around 8:00am, they recite the national anthem and drink tea. After that, it’s a relaxing trip to the sauna.
Then, as monks sing and pound on drums, each patient is given a special herbal “medicine” which rapidly induces vomiting when consumed with water.
“There are four kinds of herbs [used in the medicine],” a monk told a reporter for VICE News. “Morning glory, cogon grass, lemongrass, and castor leaves.” The herbs are also used to make steam, which fills the sauna.
During the vomiting sessions, many of the men aid their expulsion by forcing fingers down their throats. They say if they don’t vomit, the herbal mixture will make them feel sick all day. “It tastes really bitter, it’s like torture,” said one patient. “But I feel better as soon as I vomit. Yesterday I didn’t puke everything out. I went to lie down after, and I felt like I was dying. I had to puke again to feel normal.”
The program, however unusual, seems to be working. “Tham Krabok temple was founded in 1957,” said one of the monastery’s monks. “Our rehabilitation program began in 1959, so we’ve been treating drug addicts for over fifty years now.” In addition to treating the recent surge of yaba addicts, Tham Krabok is well-known for treating heroin and opium addiction. It continues to boast a high success rate, and apparently has few patients return for further treatment.
President Vladimir Putin hopped into a mini-submarine to explore a shipwreck off the coast of the Crimea peninsula that Moscow seized from Ukraine last year.
On August 18, the Russian president plunged down to a depth of 83 meters seated alongside the pilot in the glass-bubble cabin of the Dutch-made vessel.
“83 meters is a pretty substantial depth,” Vladimir Putin told journalists in televised comments after the dive.
“It was interesting.”
Vladimir Putin went underwater to view the Byzantine-era wreckage in the Black Sea off Crimea that included a trove of 10th century pottery.
The remains were discovered off the coast of Sevastopol by Russian divers earlier this year.
The president said: “It is a galleon that was transporting civilian cargo through the bay of Balaclava.
“It is still to be investigated by experts. I have to say that there are not that many similar remains like this in the north of the Black Sea.”
Putin has become known for his eye-catching stunts during his fifteen years in charge of Russia, that have included flying with cranes, riding topless on horseback and darting an endangered tiger.
Vladimir Putin also hopped into another miniature submersible in 2013 to take in a 19th century naval frigate shipwreck on the bed of the Baltic Sea.
The carefully choreographed photo opportunities are designed to buff up the image of Vladimir Putin among ordinary Russians.
Thai police have released a sketch of the main suspect in the bomb attack that killed 20 people at Bangkok’s Erawan shrine on August 17.
According to Thailand’s chief of police, the attack was carried out by a “network”.
The man, dressed in a yellow T-shirt, was filmed by security cameras leaving a backpack at the shrine.
Erawan Hindu shrine, popular with tourists and Buddhists, reopened on August 19.
Thai police chief Somyot Poompanmoung told the Associated Press news agency on August 19 that the shrine attack was the work of more than one person.
“He didn’t do it alone for sure,” he said, referring to the main suspect.
“It’s a network,” he added, without giving further information.
Somyot Poompanmoung said he was certain that Thai citizens were involved in the bombing, but could not confirm if the bomber was a foreigner or a Thai citizen in disguise.
The prime minister has meanwhile urged the main suspect to surrender to the police because he might otherwise “get killed to stop him from talking”.
PM Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters the man must have been hired to plant the bomb.
The shrine reopened at about 08:00 local time, with a handful of people arriving to place flowers or light incense in front of the slightly damaged statue of the Hindu god Brahma.
Most of the victims of Monday’s attack were Thai, but nationals from China, Hong Kong, the UK, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore were among the foreigners killed.
No-one has yet said they carried out the attack.
In a separate attack on August 18, an explosive device was thrown at a pier in Bangkok. No-one was hurt, but the authorities have not ruled out a link between the incidents.
The FDA has approved flibanserin, a desire-enhancing drug for women that has been dubbed “Female Viagra”.
The Sprout Pharmaceuticals drug recently passed an FDA advisory committee meeting.
The non-hormonal pill is designed to assist premenopausal women regain their desire by boosting levels of certain brain chemicals.
However, flibanserin has been criticized as having marginal effects.
Versions of the pill, which will be marketed as “Addyi”, have been submitted for approval in the past but never passed.
The drug was rejected by the FDA twice for lack of effectiveness with results experts admitted were “modest” and side effects like nausea, dizziness and fainting.
Photo AP
Originally the drug was produced by German company Boehringer Ingelheim. Sprout bought the drug from that company after it was turned down by the FDA.
Documents from the June 4 FDA advisory meeting describe the drug’s purpose as “treatment of hypoactive s**ual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women”.
Women would take it each night.
A doctor would have to determine whether a woman seeking the pill was suffering from a disorder characterized by a lack of desire, causing the woman distress.
Currently, there is nothing on the US market approved for treatment of HSDD or another condition, female s**ual interest/arousal disorder (FSIAD).
“This condition is clearly an area of unmet medical need,” the FDA documents said.
Sprout only has 25 employees. Large pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Bayer and Proctor & Gamble have all studied female desire disorder treatment but abandoned plans to pursue it.
Sprout’s CEO, Cindy Whitehead, told AP they would promote Addyi carefully.
“We would never want a patient who’s not going to see a benefit to take it and tell everyone it doesn’t work,” she said.
Lobbying by Sprout Pharmaceuticals was backed by the women’s rights group Even the Score, which has accused the FDA of gender bias by approving a number of drugs treating men’s issues without passing an equivalent for women.
The Obama administration has hired its first openly transgender full-time member of staff, White House officials have confirmed.
Raffi Freedman-Gurspan started working as an outreach and recruitment director for presidential staff on August 18.
Her commitment to transgender rights reflects “the values of this administration,” a senior White House official said.
Photo LinkedIn
“Raffi Freedman-Gurspan demonstrates the kind of leadership this administration champions,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama.
Raffi Freedman-Gurspan previously worked as a policy adviser for the National Center for Transgender Equality (NTCE).
Her appointment to the White House has been hailed as an important step by key members of the LGBT community.
In the same time, the Department of Defense is reviewing its ban on transgender men and women from serving in the military, and the White House has said it welcomes that move.
Honest Ndlovu, the game park operator accused of letting American dentist Walter Palmer illegally hunt and kill Cecil the lion on his property in Zimbabwe, has been charged in connection with the killing and released on bail in Hwange, his lawyer said.
The killing of Cecil, a 13-year-old, rare, black-maned lion and a popular tourist attraction, caused worldwide outrage and triggered a major backlash against Africa’s multi-million dollar hunting industry.
Honest Ndlovu owns the game park into which Cecil was lured from the adjacent Hwange National Park and shot with a bow and arrow by Walter Palmer.
He was charged with permitting “a person who is not ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe to hunt the said animal which was not on the hunting quota”.
Lawyer Tonderai Mukuku said Honest Ndlovu denies the charge and was set free on $200 bail. He will return to court on September 18.
The same Hwange court last week postponed until September 28 the trial of local hunter Theo Bronkhorst.
Theo Bronkhorst, who acted as Walter Palmer’s guide, is accused of failing to prevent the American from killing Cecil, who had been fitted with a GPS collar as part of an Oxford University study.
Cecil the lion was a favorite with tourists visiting Hwange park.
Zimbabwe wants Walter Palmer, 55, extradited from the US to face trial.
The Beatles’ first recording contract, which was signed in 1961 in Hamburg, will be auctioned in New York next month.
According to specialists, the six-page contract could fetch $150,000.
The contract led to the single My Bonnie, which was released on Polydor in Germany under the name Tony Sheridan and the Beat Boys.
It will be auctioned by Heritage Auctions on September 19.
John Lennon signed the document JW Lennon and Paul McCartney signed his full name James Paul McCartney.
The contract was also signed by George Harrison and Pete Best, the drummer who was to be replaced by Ringo Starr the following year.
The Beatles were backing Tony Sheridan at Hamburg’s Top Ten Club at the time, and together they were signed by German record producer Bert Kaempfert to record a rock’n’roll version of My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.
The papers are being sold by the estate of Uwe Blaschke, a German graphic designer and Beatles historian, who died in 2010.
The auction also includes a signed copy of the band’s first UK single Love Me Do and a postcard Ringo Starr sent to his mother from Hamburg.
Gabonese President Ali Bongo has announced he will give away all the money he inherits from his father – former President Omar Bongo – to set up a foundation for the country’s youth.
Omar Bongo was Gabon’s president for more than 41 years from 1967 until his death in 2009.
“In my eyes we are all heirs of Omar Bongo,” Ali Bongo said in a national address.
The will of his father is yet to be settled.
Omar Bongo reportedly left a fortune worth many millions of dollars.
French judges are currently probing the Bongo family over alleged embezzlement, accusations which they strongly deny.
Gabon is a major oil producer, but a third of its population live in poverty, according to the World Bank.
In a speech to mark the country’s 55th independence anniversary, President Ali Bongo said that in addition to his inheritance money for the youth foundation, the family would be donating a building in the capital, Libreville, to start a new university.
“No Gabonese must be left by the side of the road,” he added.
Two properties belonging to Omar Bongo in Paris would also be given to the state, the president said.
“I know my father, from where he is now, watches us and hears us. I also know that he approves this decision and gives us his blessing,” the AFP news agency quotes Ali Bongo as saying.
Allegations of corruption have swirled around Omar Bongo for many years.
The landmark “case of the ill-gotten gains” was launched in France in 2010 after a lengthy campaign by corruption watchdog Transparency International.
Two judges were appointed to look into the finances of the late Gabonese leader and the families of the leaders of Equatorial Guinea and Congo-Brazzaville, to see whether state funds had been misused on expenditures made in France.
Under French law, a formal investigation is one step closer to a trial, but some cases can be dropped without going to court.
Bongo family assets identified as part of a previous police investigation include 39 properties in France, located in affluent areas of Paris and on the French Riviera, as well as nine luxury cars, including Ferraris and Mercedes, worth a total of $1.6 million.
Ali Bongo won presidential elections in September 2009, making him the country’s third president since independence from France in 1960.
Ex-Russian internet “troll” Lyudmila Savchuk has been awarded one ruble ($0.01) in damages after she sued her former employer to expose it as a propaganda “factory”.
Lyudmila Savchuk says she and hundreds of colleagues at Internet Research in St Petersburg flooded websites with pro-Putin commentary.
A Russian court ordered Internet Research to pay Lyudmila Savchuk symbolic damages.
An agency representative said it did market research and he was not aware of “trolling” activities, reports say.
Photo Facebook
Lyudmila Savchuk, 34, sued the secretive company for alleged moral damages, non-payment of wages and for failing to give workers proper contracts.
The freelance journalist said she worked for the company for two months for a salary of about 40,000 rubles ($400) a month, but was fired in March after speaking to the media about her employer.
Petrogradsky district court on August 17 set the damages at one ruble following an agreement between the parties.
Lyudmila Savchuk said she was happy with the result because she had succeeded in exposing the work of Russia’s internet “trolls”.
Russian media quoted a spokesman for Internet Research denying the accusations.
The Kremlin says it has no links to Internet Research’s operations.
Since leaving the agency, Lyudmila Savchuk has been organizing a public movement against online trolling.
Over the past year, Russia has seen an unprecedented rise in the activity of bloggers allegedly paid by the Russian state to criticize the West on social media over the conflict in eastern Ukraine and post favorable comments about President Vladimir Putin.
Thai authorities have released a video footage showing the key suspect in the deadly bomb attack near Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine.
The footage, from a security camera, shows a man in a yellow shirt leaving a backpack in the Erawan Hindu shrine.
At least 20 people died in the attack on August 17. About half of the victims were foreigners.
More than other 120 people were injured in the attack.
In a separate attack on August 18, an explosive device was thrown at a pier in Bangkok, but no-one was hurt.
Nationals from China, Hong Kong, the UK, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are among the foreigners killed in Monday’s attack.
Still images of the suspect had already been released.
In the new footage, he is shown carefully and deliberately removing his backpack inside the shrine, getting up without it and immediately leaving the scene.
“There is a suspect… we are looking for this guy,” PM Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters.
Authorities were “quite close” to identifying the suspect, Thai government spokesman Maj. Gen. Weerachon Sukhontapatipak said.
However, other leads were also being pursued.
The spokesman said no motive was being ruled out, but that the bomber did not appear to be Thai and the character of the bombing was “quite different” from previous bombings by southern Thai insurgents.
He said security at transport hubs and tourist sites was being beefed up.
The bomb was detonated at about 19:00 local time on August 17 when the shrine, and the nearby Ratchaprasong junction, were crowded.
PM Prayuth Chan-ocha called it the “worst ever attack” on Thailand.
“There have been minor bombs or just noise, but this time they aim for innocent lives. They want to destroy our economy, our tourism.”
In Tuesday’s incident, a device – possibly a grenade – was reportedly thrown at the busy Sathorn pier in Bangkok.
It landed in water where it exploded harmlessly, but police said it could have caused many injuries.
Monday’s bomb was clearly placed to cause maximum casualties.
In currency trading, the Thai baht fell to its lowest level in six years over concerns about the impact on tourism.
National police chief Somyot Poompummuang described the device as a 6.6lb pipe bomb – an improvised device where explosive material is put in a sealed cavity to maximize the explosive impact.
Erawan shrine is dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, but is also visited by thousands of Buddhists each day.
Tianjin International Ruihai Logistics, the Chinese company whose warehouse in Tianjin exploded last week killing at least 114 people, did not have a license to handle hazardous chemicals until two months ago, Xinhua news agency says.
The news agency also said that for eight months before June, the company handled hazardous chemicals without the right documents.
Nearly 700 people were injured in August 12 devastating blasts.
Ceremonies in the port city honored the dead on August 18.
Cargo ships blared their horns and people gathered in silence to mark the day.
Tianjin residents have been staging protests demanding compensation for property damage from the government.
Thousands of people had to evacuate their homes after toxic chemicals were detected in the air following the blasts at the world’s 10th-busiest port.
Some 17,000 homes were damaged by the explosions and their shockwaves.
The warehouse was storing hundreds of tonnes of sodium cyanide, far more than legally allowed, it has emerged
It was also within 1,640ft of homes, in violation of laws that require a mile minimum distance.
On August 18, Xinhua quoted an unidentified executive from the company as saying: “The company has handled hazardous chemicals during a period without a license.”
The agency said documents showed the company was approved to handle hazardous chemicals between April and October last year.
Ruihai obtained a port operation license two months ago which again allowed it to work with toxic chemicals, Xinhua said.
Ten people, including Ruihai head Yu Xuewei and deputy head Dong Shexuan, were detained on August 13, state media reported.
China’s top prosecutor is reported to be investigating all involved officials for dereliction of duty and other crimes.
Doubts have also been cast on a consultation process Ruihai claims it had with residents, in which most respondents were said to have raised no objection to the company operating.
Meanwhile, heavy rain has hampered recovery efforts.
Experts expressed concern that rain could spread some of the vast quantities of hazardous material at the site or set off chemical reactions sparking further explosions.
The remains of 54 people who died onboard a Trigana Air plane that crashed in Indonesia’s Papua region on August 16, have been recovered by rescue teams.
Bambang Soelistyo, head of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said his team had found the aircraft completely destroyed and partially burnt.
The black box flight data recorder has also been found.
Trigana Air plane came down on August 16 in dense forest in a mountainous area, close to its destination of Oksibil.
The plane was carrying 44 adult passengers, five children, and five crew members – all believed to be Indonesian.
It was also said to be carrying about 6.5 billion rupiah ($486,000) in cash, which was due to be distributed to poor families in the area. Officials have not said whether this has been located.
Members of the rescue team – made up of about 100 police, military and civilians – began reaching the site on Tuesday morning.
Bambang Soelistyo told reporters: “The plane was totally destroyed and all the bodies were burned and difficult to identify.”
Bad weather and difficult terrain at the crash site were hampering efforts to remove the bodies but they will eventually be taken to the provincial capital for identification.
Officials confirmed the black box had also been found. It contains data on the plane’s operations and could yield clues as to the cause of the crash.
The ATR42-300 twin turboprop plane took off from Sentani airport in Jayapura at 14:21 local time on August 16, but lost contact with air traffic controllers half an hour later.
Bad weather is believed to have been a possible reason for the crash. A search plane was forced to turn back on the day of the crash because of dangerous flying conditions.
Oksibil, which is about 175 miles south of Jayapura, is a remote, mountainous region, which is extremely difficult to navigate.
Trigana Air has had 14 serious incidents since it began operations in 1991, losing 10 aircraft in the process, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
Hundreds of Hillary Clinton’s emails from her private server are to be reviewed to see if they contain classified information.
The State Department identified the emails as it carries out its check on whether they can be released publicly.
Hillary Clinton’s use of private email while secretary of state for four years has sparked a barrage of criticism.
The Democratic 2016 frontrunner says her private email contained nothing that was classified at the time.
Critics say that her set-up was unsecure, against government rules and designed to shield her communications from oversight.
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In December 2014, Hillary Clinton handed over about 30,000 emails she sent and received while in office.
A team of officials has been checking the emails since a federal judge ordered they be released to the public on a rolling basis over the next five months.
In court papers filed with a District court judge in Washington on August 17, the State Department updated its progress.
One of its officials told the court that 305 of Hillary Clinton’s emails are being recommended for review by intelligence agencies.
State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters later that day the review of more emails was “healthy”.
“It doesn’t mean that all 300 are going to end up at some level of (classification upgrade). I suspect some will and I suspect some won’t,” he said.
The FBI is investigating whether classified information was improperly sent via the server and stored there.
Under US federal law, officials’ correspondence is considered to be US government property.
Emile Hirsch has pleaded guilty to assaulting film executive Daniele Bernfeld during the Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January.
He was given a 15-day jail term and 50 hours of community service as part of a plea deal agreed with the prosecutors. He was also fined $4,750.
Daniele Bernfeld, an executive for Insurge Pictures, told police Emile Hirsch grabbed her in a chokehold at a nightclub in Park City.
The plea deal agreed on August 17 means Emile Hirsch managed to avoid the maximum jail sentence of five years. He was told the charges would be dropped from his record if he completed his sentence.
He was struggling to balance after having three or four drinks at the time of the assault, according to public court documents seen by the Associated Press.
However, county attorney Robert Hilder said on Monday the actor had been sober since the incident on January 25 and showed remorse on a number of occasions.
Daniele Bernfeld, for her part, said the plea deal did not go far enough, saying the attack had caused her long-term damage. In a statement read out in court, she said she thought she “was going to die” when Emile Hirsch was choking her.
She said he grabbed her from behind, put her in a chokehold, pulled her across the table and landed on top of her on the floor, putting his hands around her throat.
Emile Hirsch is best known for his work with Sean Penn.
He took the lead role in Sean Penn’s 2007 film Into the Wild and starred alongside him in Milk.
Emile Hirsch was at Sundance for the premiere of the drama Ten Thousand Saints.
