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Joyce Mitchell: New York Prison Worker Arrested for Helping Escapees David Sweat and Richard Matt

Nancy Clayson
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Joyce Mitchell: New York Prison Worker Arrested for Helping Escapees David Sweat and Richard Matt

New York State Police have arrested Clinton Correctional Facility worker Joyce Mitchell for helping convicted killers David Sweat and Richard Matt who escaped from the prison last weekend.

Joyce Mitchell, 51, was charged with providing tool parts used in the breakout.

Workshop instructor Joyce Mitchell appeared in court accused of befriending Richard Matt and David Sweat and giving them contraband. She pleaded not guilty to charges of helping them escape jail.

David Sweat and Richard Matt escaped a week ago using power tools to cut through their cell walls at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York state.

A massive manhunt is currently under way for the pair.Joyce Mitchell arrested New York jailbreak

Joyce Mitchell has been jailed for the weekend and will appear in court again on June 15. If convicted she faces up to eight years in prison.

According to prosecutors, Joyce Mitchell gave Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, hacksaw blades and drill bits, but did not provide the more powerful tools they used.

She also planned to be the pair’s getaway driver but changed her mind at the last minute, said investigators who are also looking into whether she had improper ties to one of the men.

Joyce Mitchell’s family has said she would not have helped an escape.

Richard Matt and David Sweat cut through brick and steel to crawl through an underground pipe and emerge from a manhole outside the prison’s 40ft walls.

The manhunt – involving hundreds of police officers searching stretching in New York State, Vermont and Canada – is now into its seventh day.

Bad weather has hampered the search, police say, but the men are also at a disadvantage if they have not found shelter.

OPM Data Breach: US Intelligence and Military Personnel Data Accessed

Nancy Clayson
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OPM Data Breach: US Intelligence and Military Personnel Data Accessed

Chinese hackers appear to have accessed sensitive data on US intelligence and military personnel, American officials say.

Details of a major hack emerged last week, but officials have now given details of a potential second breach.

It is feared that the attack could leave US security personnel or their families open to blackmail.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is yet to comment on the reports.

Officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press, believe the attackers have targeted the forms submitted by intelligence and military personnel for security clearances.

The document includes personal information – everything from eye color, to financial history, to past substance abuse, as well as contact details for the individual’s friends and relatives.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

A 127-page vetting document called Standard Form 86 may have been accessed. Among the questions potential employees are asked:

  • In the past seven years, have you defaulted on any loans?
  • Have you ever voluntarily sought counseling or treatment as a result of your use of alcohol?
  • In the last seven years, have you illegally used any drugs or controlled substance?

A White House statement said investigators had a “high degree of confidence” that background information on government employees had been accessed.

Joel Brenner, a former US counterintelligence official, called the data a “gold mine” for hackers.

It is also believed the breach of personal data of US government workers announced last week may be far larger than previously reported.

Initial estimates put the number of people potentially affected at four million, but officials close to the investigation told AP that as many as 14 million might be involved.

The US has said the hackers, thought to be behind both attacks, are believed to be based in China. Beijing called the claims “irresponsible”.

The Obama administration meanwhile announced further measures to beef up cybersecurity on June 12.

A White House statement said: “Recent events underscore the need to accelerate the administration’s cyber strategy and confront aggressive, persistent malicious actors that continue to target our nation’s cyber infrastructure.”

Dave Grohl Breaks His Leg After Falling off Stage During Gothenburg Concert

Sonia Pantiss
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Dave Grohl Breaks His Leg After Falling off Stage During Gothenburg Concert

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl apparently broke his leg after falling off the stage during a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 12.

The Foo Fighters were two songs into their set at the Ullevi stadium when Dave Grohl went to jump on a ramp but missed and fell into the security run.Dave Grohl breaks leg onstage in Gothenburg

He told the crowd as he lay on the ground: “I think I just broke my leg.

“I’m going to go to hospital. I’m going to fix my leg. And then I’m going to come back.

“You have my promise right now that the Foo Fighters – we’re going to come back and finish the show.”

The band reportedly continued the concert, playing cover versions whilst Dave Grohl sought medical attention.

The singer later reappeared to continue the concert, sitting in a chair with his leg bandaged.

It is not yet known whether his leg is actually broken.

The Foo Fighters are due to play Wembley Stadium next weekend, followed by a headline set at the Glastonbury Festival on June 26.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLWfLeHSZ-8

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist Wedding in Stockholm

Lisa.Felice
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Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist Wedding in Stockholm

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden is to marry former reality star Sofia Hellqvist in a lavish ceremony in Stockholm.

Sofia Hellqvist, 30, also worked as a model and a yoga instructor before helping to set up a charity.

Prince Carl Philip, 36, is third in line to the Swedish throne.

Thousands of well-wishers are expected to line the streets for the event, despite polls suggesting the Swedish royal family’s popularity is waning.

Sofia Hellqvist and Prince Carl Philip reportedly first met at a restaurant in 2010, with news of their relationship being revealed soon after.Prince Carl Philip of Sweden marries Soffia Hellqvist

The Swedish media made much of Sofia Hellqvist’s past, which included posing for a men’s magazine in 2004.

In 2005, she appeared on the Swedish reality TV show Paradise Hotel, in which singletons compete to stay in a luxury resort.

In response to the media interest, Sofia Hellqvist told Swedish television that she had long since moved on.

She said: “I don’t regret anything. All these experiences have made me the person I am.

“I wouldn’t have made those choices today.”

Amid rumors that her past had caused disquiet among the royal family, the palace has emphasized her charity work.

In 2010, Sofia Hellqvist co-founded the Project Playground charity which helps disadvantaged children in South Africa. She has also worked as a volunteer in several African countries.

Sofia Hellqvist, who is from the central Swedish town of Alvdalen, also studied accounting in New York in 2005 and worked there as a yoga teacher and a waitress.

On Friday evening, more than 200 wedding guests attended a dinner in honor of the couple on the island of Skeppsholmen.

The wedding will take place at the Royal Chapel, or Slottskyrkan, in Stockholm on June 13.

Prince Carl Philip is third in line to the throne behind his elder sister Crown Princess Victoria and her three-year-old daughter, Princess Estelle.

California Drought 2015: Farmers Ordered to Reduce Water Consumption

Diane A. Wade
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California Drought 2015: Farmers Ordered to Reduce Water Consumption

Thousands of California farmers have been ordered by lawmakers to reduce their water consumption in the largest cuts in the state’s history.

State officials announced on June 12 they would be telling nearly 100 water rights holders to stop pumping from three separate waterways.

This is the first time in decades that officials have forced thousands of farmers to draw back water use.California drought 2015 record water cuts

These farmers’ rights to water were decided more than 100 years ago.

Water rights holders in the Sacramento, San Joaquin and delta watersheds will have to stop getting water from those streams.

California has ordered water use cuts for other farmers in other cities across the state.

The move has been expected for weeks, the Los Angeles Times reports. Its effects will be varied, with a lot of water harvesting work continuing on as usual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMicItbSO4o

Princess Cristina of Spain Loses Duchess of Palma Title

Lisa.Felice
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Princess Cristina of Spain Loses Duchess of Palma Title

King Felipe VI of Spain has stripped sister Princess Cristina of her title as Duchess of Palma ahead of her tax fraud trial.

Infanta Cristina, who is to go on trial charged with tax evasion, was granted the Duchess of Palma de Mallorca title in 1997 when she married Inaki Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball player who is also accused of tax evasion.

Princess Cristina had asked King Felipe to remove her title, her lawyer said.

However, the royal palace said the king made the decision before seeing her request. Princess Cristina denies the tax fraud charges.Princess Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin

In the year since King Felipe, 47, succeeded his father, King Juan Carlos, to the throne, he has excluded Princess Cristina de Borbon and her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who faces a wider array of corruption charges in the case, from the royal family’s official functions.

Prosecutors in Palma de Mallorca have long been investigating the business dealings of Inaki Urdangarin.

Inaki Urdangarin stands accused with 15 others of embezzling 5.6 million euros ($6 million) of public money from the Noos Institute – a charitable sports foundation he ran with a business partner. Princess Cristina is accused of involvement in the alleged scam.

It is the first time in modern Spain’s history that a member of the royal family has faced court cross-examination in a major corruption scandal.

Princess Cristina, 50, is the youngest daughter of former King Juan Carlos, who abdicated last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlbtL_oTA-w

Why Are so Many First-Time Buyers Finding Moving House Such an Arduous Task?

Dana R
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Why Are so Many First-Time Buyers Finding Moving House Such an Arduous Task?

A house move is a stressful time for everyone, especially a long-distance move out of state. A recent news article showed that in the UK one-third of first-time buyers move back in with their parents. And it’s likely to be a similar figure in the States. Such are the trials and tribulations of a new prospective homeowner. But why exactly is moving house so stressful and intense? There are several reasons for this, let’s look at a few.

Trying to Choose

With any move, one of the hardest things you’re going to need to take care of is choosing your new home. This means you’re going to need to pick the location as well as the type of place you want. This a massive decision for anyone to make, and it’s one you need to spend time and effort on. Sit down and talk to the family about it and be sure you make the right choice. You’re going to be in your new home for a while, so it’s got to be perfect.

Expense

One of the biggest problems all first-time buyers face is the cost. It’s just so expensive to buy somewhere these days. Particularly if you’re not already a homeowner. There are many expenses including fees, deposit, and mortgage payments. And that’s before you even get around to moving, insurance and legal costs, not to mention unanticipated costs like a leaky roof, siding, or foundation. When you think about it like this, it’s no wonder so many first-time buyers find it so difficult to make ends meet, but if you do have to make unanticipated structural repairs on your home it is essential that you have them performed by a reputable contractor like the team at Tredent Contracting Services.

Legal Aspects

Something else that can be a very cloudy area is the legal aspects of a move. Because first-time buyers are inexperienced, they don’t know what to expect from this. There are a lot of legalities that come into play when you want to buy a home. There’s a complex exchange process with regards to the mortgage. And you need to make sure all the appropriate checks have been carried out. Any prospective new buyers should consult legal advice before attempting to buy.

Fear of Independence

It might seem like independence should be a positive thing, but in reality this isn’t always the case. While it’s a good thing to have independence, many prospective buyers feel overwhelmed by this. They’re not quite ready to leave the nest and stand on their own two feet. They’ve always relied on their parents as a support network. But moving out on their own means they’re responsible for themselves now. And for many young people this is often a step too far.

Packing

The worst part of the moving process is likely to be the packing! And for many first-time buyers this is something they dread. You’re going to have to pack your entire life into the back of a van. This can be a long and laborious task. And it’s easy to let sentiment creep in when you’re trying to get rid of things. You need to come up with a system to make the packing less stressful. And you need to try to be disciplined when you’re attempting to get rid of stuff.

Family-car-sticker

Image Source

Moving is always a stressful and time-consuming process. But long distance moves can often even worse. First-time buyers find it much preferable to move in with their parents prior to buying. This allows them the opportunity to save money and prepare emotionally for the move.

FIFA Corruption: Interpol Suspends Integrity in Sport Agreement

Clyde K. Valle
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FIFA Corruption: Interpol Suspends Integrity in Sport Agreement

Interpol has suspended its 10-year partnership with FIFA over allegations of corruption against the soccer’s governing body.

The international police agency had a €20 million anti-match-fixing program with the soccer’s governing body.

Interpol is now freezing the money donated by FIFA in 2011 for the program.

The “Integrity in Sport” agreement was intended to combat match-fixing and illegal gambling.Interpol suspends FIFA partnership

FIFA is under investigation by authorities in the US and Switzerland for alleged bribery and corruption.

Jurgen Stock, the head of Interpol, said in a statement: “In light of the current context surrounding FIFA, while Interpol is still committed to developing our Integrity in Sport program, I have decided to suspend the agreement.

“All external partners, whether public or private, must share the fundamental values and principles of the organization, as well as those of the wider law enforcement community.”

The agreement between Interpol and FIFA stated that the soccer body must be “compatible with the principles, aims and activities of Interpol”.

Last month, 14 current and former FIFA officials and sports marketing executives were charged over allegations of corruption and bribery following a years-long US-led investigation into the organization.

The scandal has raised questions over the legitimacy of the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer Aged Fourteen to Be Auctioned in London

Sonia Pantiss
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Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer Aged Fourteen to Be Auctioned in London

One of Edgar Degas’ most famous works, Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (Little Dancer Aged Fourteen), is to be sold at Sotheby’s auction in London.

The iconic Degas ballet dancer sculpture has been estimated by experts at Sotheby’s to fetch £10 million – 15 million ($15 million – 23 million) on June 24.

The piece is one of few bronze casts in private hands with the majority housed in museums including Tate London and Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Helena Newman from Sotheby’s called it Edgar Degas’ “most important and iconic sculpture”.

She added: “The artist’s ambitious and highly innovative work marks the pinnacle of his achievements as a sculptor, and its forthcoming sale represents a rare opportunity to acquire an icon of Impressionist art.”

Photo Tumblr
Photo Tumblr

The original sculpture – modeled by a young Belgian ballet student named Marie van Goethem – is two-thirds life size and was originally sculpted in wax.

It is dressed in a real bodice, tutu and ballet slippers and has a wig of real hair.

Despite its reputation, the sculpture was not so well received when it first appeared.

The work was accused of representing the girl in a bestial manner; she was compared to a monkey who possessed a face “on which all the vices imprint their detestable promises, the mark of a particularly vicious character”.

However, critics had to acknowledge the work’s astonishing realism.

The 28 bronze repetitions that appear in museums and galleries around the world today were cast after Edgar Degas’ death in 1917.

Earlier this year, Alberto Giacometti’s Pointing Man also became the most valuable sculpture ever sold at auction, after going for $141.3 million.

Greece Crisis: Bank Stocks Fall on Debt Fears

Clyde K. Valle
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Greece Crisis: Bank Stocks Fall on Debt Fears

Greece’s biggest banks stocks have plunged on the Athens Stock Exchange, following a fresh blow to the country’s debt negotiations.

Stocks in the National Bank of Greece fell almost 6%, while Piraeus and Alpha banks fell more than 5%.

IMF officials pulled out of talks with Greek politicians in Brussels on June 11, citing “major differences”.

Greece is seeking to avoid defaulting on a €1.5 billion debt repayment to the IMF.

The payment is due by the end of the month.Greece bank stocks 2015

Shares on the Athens Stock Exchange had soared on June 11 amid renewed optimism about Greece’s talks with its creditors.

The index climbed more than 14% – the best performance in several weeks.

But the IMF’s withdrawal has dampened investors’ moods.

On June 12, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, said a deal without the IMF was “unimaginable”.

However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged all parties to continue negotiations.

Speaking at a business conference in Berlin, Angela Merkel said: “Where there’s a will there’s a way, but the will has to come from all sides so it’s important that we keep speaking with each other”.

Ornette Coleman Dies in New York Aged 85

Sonia Pantiss
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Ornette Coleman Dies in New York Aged 85

Jazzman Ornette Coleman has died at the age of 85 in New York.

A saxophonist born in Texas, Ornette Coleman was one of the most innovative musicians in modern jazz.

Ornette Coleman began his career in the 1950s and later pioneered an unconventional style described as “free jazz”.

His 1959 album The Shape of Jazz to Come is regarded by many as one of the most influential jazz records.

His publicist, Ken Weinstein, said Ornette Coleman died on June 11 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Ornette Coleman, along with fellow saxophonist John Coltrane, was credited with breaking down the traditional structures of jazz and creating a more free-flowing form of expression.Ornette Coleman dead at 85

Critics branded his idea of improvising without chord changes as chaotic but it eventually became mainstream in both jazz and rock.

Ornette Coleman’s influence was recognized later in his life and he received both a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2007.

He once said he grew up “so po” his family couldn’t afford the “o” or the “r”.

He bought a cheap alto saxophone at 14 and played in local rhythm and blues bands before moving to Los Angeles.

Contemporary Records bought some of his compositions in 1958 but found studio musicians unable to play them so hired Ornette Coleman instead and they were released as his first album.

He moved to New York and was signed by Atlantic Records, who released The Shape of Jazz to Come in 1959. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album at number 248 on its list of the 500 greatest albums.

Ornette Coleman married poet Jayne Cortez in 1954 but they divorced 10 years later.

The musician is survived by their son, Denardo, a drummer and producer who began performing with his father at age 10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX-OeJXKuuw

Save the Children Ordered to Leave Pakistan

Diane A. Wade
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Save the Children Ordered to Leave Pakistan

US NGO Save the Children has been ordered to leave Pakistan, with an official accusing the charity of “anti-Pakistan” activities.

Police have sealed off the charity’s offices in Islamabad and foreign staff given 15 days to leave the country.

Save the Children said it “strongly objected” to the action.

Pakistan has previously linked Save the Children to the fake vaccination program used by the CIA to track down Osama bin Laden.

Save the Children has always denied being involved with the CIA or Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, who carried out the program.

The NGO has no foreign staff in Pakistan as they were forced to leave after the accusations emerged in 2012.

Save the Children now has 1,200 Pakistani staff working on projects in health, education and food, the charity said.Save the Children ordered to leave Pakistan

The charity, which has operations all over the world, has worked in Pakistan for more than 30 years.

The Pakistani government has not given a formal announcement explaining the decision.

However, one official told the AFP news agency: “Their activities were being monitored since a long time. They were doing something which was against Pakistan’s interest.”

A police official said that Save the Children’s phone calls and offices had been placed under surveillance. Speaking to the Reuters news agency, he added that the charity’s activities were “very suspicious”.

Condemning the move, Save the Children said it was “raising our serious concerns at the highest levels”, adding that its workers were all Pakistani nationals.

A Save the Children official told Reuters that the Pakistan government had been stopping aid shipments entering the country, “blocking aid to millions of children and their families”.

It comes after the Pakistani government announced it was tightening the rules for NGOs, revoking several of their licenses.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Refugee Council has ceased all operations in Pakistan as its license has not yet been renewed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmgwY80-in4

MH148: Malaysia Airlines Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Melbourne

Diane A. Wade
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MH148: Malaysia Airlines Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Melbourne

Malaysia Airlines flight MH148 has made an emergency landing in Melbourne, Australia, after reporting a possible engine fire.

The passenger plane had just taken off from Melbourne for the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Plane tracking sites showed the Airbus 330 circling Melbourne airport several times before turning back.Malaysia Airlines MH148 emergency landing Melbourne

Fire engines were on site but airport officials said it landed safely at 15:00 local time.

A spokeswoman for Airservices Australia, the government’s aviation safety body, said the plane had reported an “engine fire” alert in the cabin.

“The plane proceeded to dump the fuel and returned to land and it landed safely at the aviation rescue sites,” she told Reuters news agency.

Officials said this was standard procedure for an emergency landing.

Melbourne airport said it was operating normally.

Malaysia Airlines tweeted that the plane “made an air-turn back and landed uneventfully”.

The statement added: “The aircraft is being grounded for investigation.”

US Spends $9 Million a Day on War Against ISIS

Roy Siemens
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US Spends $9 Million a Day on War Against ISIS

According to new reports, the US spends more than $9 million a day on the war against ISIS, and has poured $2.7 billion into the bombing campaign since the start.

An international coalition has been conducting air strikes in Iraq and Syria since last August.

The first breakdown of US costs, released by the Pentagon, show that two-thirds of the total bill has gone to the Air Force.

It came as Congress rejected legislation banning further spending.US spendings against ISIS

The US House of Representative approved a $579 billion defense spending bill.

It rejected an amendment calling for a stop to cash going on the fight against ISIS unless Congress passed a new authorization for the use of force.

The cost of the US military operation has risen sharply since it began last August in Iraq.

This week, the White House announced another 450 advisers for Iraq, bringing the total military personnel to 3,500.

But officials emphasize there are no combat troops and the US mission is to train local forces to do the fighting.

On June 11, the top general in the US said the country’s intervention in Iraq could extend further.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the role of calling in air strikes, which would put troops nearer the front lines, remained a future option.

Martin Dempsey raised the possibility of establishing a network of US training hubs in northern Iraq.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rneHovciqKs

Dick Costolo Resigns as Twitter Chief Executive

Clyde K. Valle
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Dick Costolo Resigns as Twitter Chief Executive

Dick Costolo has resigned as Twitter CEO, the social messaging company has announced.

Twitter’s co-founder Jack Dorsey will take over as interim chief on July 1 and stay until a replacement can be found.

Dick Costolo had been under pressure from investors unhappy with the company’s user growth.

In a statement, Dick Costolo said he was “tremendously proud of the Twitter team”.

Twitter said that its board had formed a committee to undertake the task of finding a successor.

Following the announcement, Twitter shares jumped by more than 7% in trading after US markets had closed.Dick Costolo resigns as Twitter CEO

Twitter debuted on the NYSE in 2013 but has not been adding users as fast as investors had hoped.

In April, Twitter missed Wall Street’s forecasts for revenue growth and posted a net loss of $162 million.

Its share price has declined nearly 30% since then, and is currently trading below the price it debuted at in 2013.

Analysts remain pessimistic about the company’s ability to grow.

The research consultancy eMarketer estimates that Twitter’s monthly user base will grow just 14.1% this year, slowing from more than 30% two years ago.

By 2019, eMarketer says Twitter’s user growth rate will be just 6% worldwide.

Announcing his resignation, Dick Costolo said in a statement: “I am tremendously proud of the Twitter team and all that the team has accomplished together during my six years with the company.”

On a conference call to discuss the move, Dick Costolo added that he had decided to go now because he felt the continued scrutiny if he remained would be a “distraction” and of “no help to the company”.

Questioned on what the board was looking for in its next chief executive, Jack Dorsey said the search team would take as long as necessary, the candidate could come from inside or outside the company but added the one criteria they knew for sure: he or she should be a Twitter user.

Jack Dorsey said the most important attribute was that they “really use and love the product in every single way”.

Dick Costolo will remain on the board of the company. He has been a director since September 2009 and became CEO in October 2010.

David Sweat and Richard Matt: Police Dogs Found Evidence of Escapees

Nancy Clayson
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David Sweat and Richard Matt: Police Dogs Found Evidence of Escapees

Police dogs have found where fugitives David Sweat and Richard Matt may have spent the night after they escaped from New York prison six days ago.

Food wrappers and other evidence were discovered in the woods nearby Clinton Correctional Facility.

Police have been receiving hundreds of tips from the public, and a sighting has been reported in Philadelphia.

The manhunt in northern New York and surrounding areas has now extended to campsites and boat slips in neighboring Vermont.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo held a joint press conference outside the maximum security prison from where the men escaped.Richard Matt and David Sweat New York jailbreak

“New York was going to be hot. Vermont would be cooler, in terms of law enforcement,” Peter Shumlin said, referring to the unspecified information about the men’s whereabouts.

Rainstorms have complicated efforts by masking scents detectable by search dogs and forcing officers to wade through swamps.

Officials at the Saranac Central School District, less than a mile from the prison, closed schools on June 11 “in order to assist law enforcement personnel with their search efforts, and due to the closure of a number of roads”.

Police are also interviewing a cab driver in Philadelphia, who says he may have given a ride to the men early on Thursday morning.

Philadelphia is about 400 miles from the prison.

Police have received hundreds of tips from the public, but the Philadelphia police commissioner says there is no reason to believe David Sweat, 34, and Richard Matt, 48, are in the city.

Richard Matt was given a jail term of 25 years to life for beating a man to death in 1997.

David Sweat was serving a life sentence without parole for the murder of Broome County Sheriff’s Deputy, Kevin Tarsia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5EAHRODtHA

Rupert Murdoch to Step Down as 21st Century Fox CEO

Clyde K. Valle
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Rupert Murdoch to Step Down as 21st Century Fox CEO

Rupert Murdoch will step down as 21st Century Fox CEO, sources close to the company say.

His son James will take over the role, while his other son Lachlan will become executive co-chairman.

Rupert Murdoch, 84, will remain as executive chairman at the company and still have the final say in matters.

The company said the matter of succession would be discussed at the next board meeting.

It would not comment further.Rupert Murdoch to step down

James Murdoch, 42, has been acting as co-chief operating officer at Fox after leaving his job running BSkyB. His new role will entail running the day-to-day business of Fox.

As executive co-chairman, Lachlan Murdoch will effectively be James’ boss.

COO Chase Carey will step down and take on a role as adviser to the company.

21st Century Fox was created two years ago after being split up from Rupert Murdoch’s less profitable media company, News Corp.

It owns the Fox Hollywood studios and television businesses.

In Q1 2015, 21st Century Fox reported net income of $975 million, while News Corp, which owns the Wall Street Journal, The Times and The Sun, made a profit of $23 million.

Greece Crisis: State Television ERT Is Back on Air After Two Years

Diane A. Wade
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Greece Crisis: State Television ERT Is Back on Air After Two Years

Greece’s state television ERT is back on air after two years.

The Greek broadcaster was closed down in 2013 under austerity measures.

The left-wing Syriza party made the reinstatement of ERT a key pledge in January’s election, which it won.

Syriza said all of the more than 2,600 employees made redundant in 2013 have been offered jobs by the station.

Presenter Nikos Aggelidis said at the start of the first show on June 11: “It’s a special day for all Greeks, for those who love Greece and for those who love freedom of information.”

“We’re nervous. We’re very touched.”

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

His co-host Vasiliki Haina said: “It’s a special day for us, a difficult day.”

ERT’s television channel went off air in the middle of a program in 2013, and viewers saw only a black screen. There had been no warning of the channel coming to an end.

The decision to end ERT, which cost €300 million ($337 million) to run, led to protests on Greek streets.

Some said the network was plagued by cronyism and had appeared immune from cuts and reform.

While ERT continued to broadcast on the internet, a smaller-scale replacement, Nerit, was introduced in May 2014.

Nerit enjoyed moderate success despite a smaller staff, and secured Champions League football coverage and rights to broadcast the Eurovision song contest.

Nerit’s television operation merged with ERT on June 11.

The letters N and I were removed from the sign on Nerit’s building to spell ERT earlier this week.

ERT will be funded by a €3 surcharge added to electricity bills – less than the surcharge before it went off air.

Greece’s government, which is fighting to secure loans to help stabilize the country’s finances, called the reinstatement of ERT “a victory for democracy”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPMtOlGaSYs

Zhou Yongkang Gets Life Sentence for Accepting Bribes and Abuse of Power

Diane A. Wade
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Zhou Yongkang Gets Life Sentence for Accepting Bribes and Abuse of Power

China’s former Ministry of Public Security Zhou Yongkang has been jailed for life after being found guilty of bribery, abuse of power and “intentionally disclosing national secrets”, Xinhua news agency reports.

Zhou Yongkang – the most senior politician to face corruption charges under Communist rule.

Until his retirement in 2012, Zhou Yongkang was one of China’s most powerful men.

Zhou Yongkang was put under investigation one year later as part of President Xi Jinping’s major anti-corruption campaign.

State TV showed a clip of Zhou Yongkang, 72, pleading guilty at a closed-door trial in the northern city of Tianjin. When responding to the judge, he said he would not launch an appeal.

Zhou Yongkang said: “I’ve realized the harm I’ve caused to the party and the people. I plead guilty and I regret my crimes.”

He was tried behind closed doors on May 22 because the case involved state secrets, Xinhua agency reports. There was no public announcement until the conviction was reported on June 11.Zhou Yongkang sentenced to life in prison

In a breakdown of the ruling, Xinhua reports that Zhou Yongkang received a life sentence for accepting bribes worth 130 million yuan ($21.3 million), seven years for abuse of power and four years for “deliberately releasing state secrets”.

All political rights have been stripped and his property confiscated, the news agency added.

Zhou Yongkang was charged in April, nine months after a formal investigation was announced.

He has since been expelled from the Communist Party.

Zhou Yongkang was once head of the Ministry of Public Security, as well as a member of China’s top decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee.

It is the first time such a senior Chinese figure has been convicted of corruption since the Communist Party came to power in 1949.

President Xi Jinping vowed to end endemic corruption when he came to power in 2012.

Since then, a number of Zhou Yongkang’s former associates from his time working in the oil industry and as Communist Party chief in Sichuan province have been investigated or prosecuted as part of Xi Jinping’s corruption crackdown.

The Xinhua report did not refer to Bo Xilai, a former protégé of Zhou Yongkang’s and former Chongqing Communist Party chief, who is currently in prison on charges linked to his wife’s murder of a British businessman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpjMRwX8KYg

How Technology Can Reduce the Number of Medical Errors

Kathryn R. Bown
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How Technology Can Reduce the Number of Medical Errors

The number of medical negligence claims in the UK is rising, and so is the cost to the NHS. Medical negligence claims arise from all fields of medicine and surgery, and come from failures to diagnose, failures to treat, or errors made during surgery. It is patients, not doctors, who bear the brunt of a medically negligent act, but fortunately the increasing use of medical technologies to assist doctors and surgeons is helping to reduce the number of errors that occur.

The NHS sees all too many of the effects of medical malpractice, with lawsuits on the rise. In the 2013/2014 financial year alone, the NHS received an unparalleled number of medical negligence claims, with over 1000 claims per month. The NHS has now increased the fund it has to deal with medical negligence claims from £8.7 billion in 2010, to £15.7 billion in 2014.

Many people probably see medical negligence claims arising from botched surgeries, and it is true that patient injury from orthopaedic and general surgery are some of the largest areas of medical negligence claims in the UK, along with negligence in obstetrics. However, the evidence is conflicting. A 2011 study found that neurosurgeons and cardiovascular surgeons were the groups most likely to be sued, while another found that the specialties most represented in medical negligence claims were internal medicine (the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases), and family medicine (what your family doctor or GP does). It does seem like the reasons for medical malpractice suits being brought are spread across the board, and may not always be surgical errors, but instead may be failures to diagnose a condition, or failures to treat that condition effectively.

Technological improvements are constantly providing new ways to improve and maintain the quality of patient care. This is extremely important, as poor quality care can lead to negative outcomes and ongoing injuries that cause pain and suffering. This isn’t just a few people, either: according to Patient Claim Line, a team of medical negligence experts, 61% of people who suffered medical negligence suffer from constant pain. Apple’s increasing number of health-related apps and technologies such as the Apple Watch are just one piece of the puzzle in trying to solve these problems, but they are an indicator of how in the modern day we are moving towards technological solutions to solving our these issues.

There are a number of new technologies in several different fields that can help to alleviate the influx of medical negligence and the accompanying claims to the NHS. First, clinical decision support systems are one type of technology that can assist doctors and other medical practitioners to make the best medical decisions for their patients. Their effectiveness is controversial, however, with several studies showing that the software did not help doctors as much as it was intended to. Other studies have shown huge benefits, so its usefulness is still up for debate.

The second type of up and coming similar technology has been likened to the black box on airplanes. Like a black box it will collect information, and will provide surgeons with a live analysis and advice on the progress of an operation. One of the researchers on this project, Teodor Grantcharov, notes that around 20 errors occur per surgery. Part of the reason, he thinks, is that once surgeons are finished with their training, there isn’t as much professional oversight over the surgeon’s work. The technology works by using a setup of cameras and microphones, and the patient data such as heart rate and blood pressure is fed from the relevant machines into the black box as well. This technology can hopefully bring down the patient injury rates from the orthopaedic and general surgery categories mentioned above.

All in all, there are numerous potential technological helpers that doctors and surgeons will soon have access to, and we can only hope that they decide to use them. Patients suffer from medication mistakes, misdiagnosis, or unnecessary treatments that all reduce their quality of life and introduce the potential for ongoing pain. As medical technology becomes more widely available, doctors should adopt these measures to prevent increased harm and suffering to the general public who desperately rely on their high-quality and mistake-free services.

Turkey Elections 2015: Recep Tayyip Erdogan Urges Parties to Form New Government

Diane A. Wade
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Turkey Elections 2015: Recep Tayyip Erdogan Urges Parties to Form New Government

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged political parties to “leave egos aside” and form a government as soon as possible.

It is the first time President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken publicly since his ruling AKP lost its parliamentary majority on June 7.

Speaking in the capital Ankara, the president said all sides must respect the election outcome “as the will of the people”.

The AKP is now likely to try to form a coalition, but no party has indicated it is willing to join forces with it.

Breaking his silence at a graduation ceremony for international students, Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that history would judge anyone who left Turkey in political limbo.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkey elections 2015

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “We cannot leave Turkey without a government, without a head.”

He added that he hoped political parties would “prefer solution rather than crisis”.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would do his part in finding a solution and that nobody should doubt he will carry out his duties within the constitution.

The AKP secured 41% of the vote in Sunday’s election, a sharp drop compared to the 2011 vote.

The party has 45 days after the final official election results are declared to form a government – but that declaration is yet to happen.

If no coalition deal is reached, a fragile minority government and early elections loom.

Earlier, PM Ahmet Davutoglu said the AKP was open to all options but warned that history had shown coalition governments were not suitable for Turkey.

“We’ve used the coalition eras of the 1970s and 1990s as an example to show that coalitions are not suitable for Turkey and we still stand by that stance,” Ahmet Davutoglu told a meeting of AKP officials.

He added that in the “current political picture” the AKP were “the only party that can come up with realistic solutions”.

Ahmet Davutoglu resigned earlier this week after the AK Party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 13 years, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked him to stay on until a new government is formed.

Securing a working coalition will be tough, with opposition parties likely to demand limits on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s role.

In the build up to the election, the president had been seeking a two-thirds majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic.

However, the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) upset Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ambitions by crossing the 10% threshold and securing seats in parliament for the first time.

On June 11, HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtas said his party was open to working with other opposition parties but ruled out forming a coalition with the AKP.

“Pulling Turkey into early election debates right away will not help. We believe Turkey has to continue on its way by forming a coalition,” he told reporters in Ankara.

Selahattin Demirtas also said that the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, was ready to make a call for disarmament and that a peace process with the militants should soon move forward.

He said the HDP, which has played a central role in peace talks, had visited Abdullah Ocalan on the island prison of Imrali and would be applying to make another visit soon.

The peace process with Abdullah Ocalan was launched by Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2012 in a bid to end a three-decade conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.

Christopher Lee Dies in London Aged 93

Sonia Pantiss
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Screen legend Christopher Lee has died aged 93.

Christopher Lee, who made his name playing Dracula and Frankenstein in the Hammer horror films, appeared in more than 250 movies.

The English-born actor was best-known for his villainous roles – including Scaramanga in James Bond and evil wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings.

Christopher Lee’s other credits include The Wicker Man and Star Wars.

The veteran actor is reported to have died on June 7 at Chelsea and Westminster hospital in London, after being hospitalized for respiratory problems and heart failure.

A Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council spokesman said: “We can confirm that the Register Office issued a death certificate for Mr. Christopher Lee on Monday June 8, Mr. Lee died on Sunday June 7.”

Christopher Lee was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity and was awarded a BAFTA fellowship in 2011.

The British Film Institute (BFI) tweeted, as the news broke on June 11: “We are deeply saddened to hear that Sir Christopher Lee has passed away.”

Born into affluence in London in 1922, Christopher Lee traced his lineage to Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor.

After public school he served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War, where he was mentioned in dispatches.

Christopher Lee’s screen career began when he joined the Rank Organization in 1947, training as an actor in their so-called “charm school”.

His 6ft 4in frame and pointed features often typecast him as a bad guy. His distant cousin Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond books, wanted him to play Dr No in the film of the same name – but that role went to Joseph Wiseman.

Christopher Lee eventually starred as Scaramanga in 1974’s The Man With The Golden Gun.

He also played Fu Manchu in a series of films in the 1960s.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Star Wars prequels – in which he played the nefarious Count Dooku – were the most successful movies of his career from a commercial standpoint.

Christopher Lee also demonstrated his versatility in comedies like 1941 and Gremlins 2.

His other films included 1959’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Three Musketeers (1973), and Jinnah – which he considered to be one of his most important films (1997).

A lover of opera, Christopher Lee launched his singing career in the 1990s, with an album of Broadway tunes, including I Stole The Prince from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, and Epiphany from Sweeney Todd.

He also enjoyed an unlikely heavy metal career. In 2010, his album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross won a Spirit of Metal Award from Metal Hammer magazine.

Sir Christopher Lee marked his 92nd birthday by releasing an album of heavy metal cover versions.

Eating Nuts Could Cut Risk of Early Death

Kathryn R. Bown
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Eating Nuts Could Cut Risk of Early Death

A Dutch study suggests that eating half a handful of nuts every day could substantially lower the risk of early death.

Previous studies had already indicated a link with cardiovascular health, but this is the first to look at specific nuts and diseases.

Maastricht University researchers found a 23% lower chance of death during the 10-year study in people eating at least 0.3oz (10g) of nuts or peanuts a day.

There was no benefit for peanut butter, which is high in salt and trans fats.Nuts could lower early death risk

More than 120,000 Dutch 55-to-69-year-old men and women provided dietary and lifestyle information in 1986, and then their mortality rate was looked at 10 years later.

The premature mortality risk due to cancer, diabetes, respiratory and neurodegenerative diseases was lower among the nut consumers.

There was an average 23% lower risk of 10-year mortality across all diseases, with a decrease of: 45% for neurodegenerative disease, 39% for respiratory disease, 30% for diabetes.

Prof. Piet van den Brandt, who led the study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, said: “It was remarkable that substantially lower mortality was already observed at consumption levels of 15g of nuts or peanuts on average per day.”

The researchers had taken into account the mitigating factor that nut consumers ate more fruit and vegetables and that women who ate nuts were often leaner, and adjusted the results accordingly, Prof. Piet van den Brandt said.

Nuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, various vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and other bioactive compounds.

Tim Hunt: Nobel Laureate Resigns from UCL Role over Gender-Segregated Labs Comments

James J. Williams
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Tim Hunt: Nobel Laureate Resigns from UCL Role over Gender-Segregated Labs Comments

Nobel Prize winner Tim Hunt, who said that scientists should work in gender-segregated labs, has resigned from his position as honorary professor at University College London (UCL).

Sir Tim Hunt made comments about the “trouble with girls” in science because they cause men to fall in love with them.

UCL said Tim Hunt – a Royal Society fellow – had resigned from his position within its faculty of life sciences.

Tim Hunt, 72, also said at a conference in South Korea that women in labs “cry” when criticized and “fall in love” with male counterparts.Nobel Prize winner Tim Hunt resigns from UCL role

A statement from the university read: “UCL can confirm that Sir Tim Hunt FRS has resigned from his position as honorary professor with the UCL faculty of life sciences following comments he made about women in science at the World Conference of Science Journalists on June 9.

“UCL was the first university in England to admit women students on equal terms to men, and the university believes that this outcome is compatible with our commitment to gender equality.”

Tim Hunt – who was awarded the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine in 2001 for his work on how cells divide – reportedly told the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul, South Korea: “Let me tell you about my trouble with girls.

“Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them they cry.”

The British biochemist, who was knighted in 2006, said the remarks were “intended as a light-hearted, ironic comment” but had been “interpreted deadly seriously by my audience”.

Tim Hunt also admitted that he had a reputation for being a “chauvinist”.

Randy Rogers’ Newborn Daughter Dies Six Days After Birth

Sonia Pantiss
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Randy Rogers’ Newborn Daughter Dies Six Days After Birth

Randy Rogers’ infant daughter, Rumer Rain, has died on June 9, just six days after her birth.

The Randy Rogers Band frontman and his wife Chelsea welcomed their baby girl on June 3, when the country singer tweeted the great news: “Newest member of the Rogers family, Rumer Rain. It’s a good day, friends.”Randy Rogers newborn daughter dead

On June 10, Randy Rogers announced the sad news on his Facebook page: “Rumer Rain Rogers, daughter of Randy and Chelsea Rogers, passed away last night at Seton Memorial Hospital in Austin, Texas. Rumer died of natural causes, in her parents loving arms, just days after her birth.

“During this time of grieving, the family asks that individuals wishing to offer condolences make a donation to the children’s charity of their choosing. The family thanks you for your love and support.”

Randy Rogers also shared the devastating news with his Twitter followers on the same day, writing: “We are sad to say that Rumer Rain Rogers passed away last night. She was well loved, well cared for and in her parents loving arms.”

Rumer Rain was Randy and Chelsea Rogers’ second child. The couple welcomed daughter River in 2013.

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