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Hugh Jackman treated for basal cell carcinoma for third time

Hugh Jackman has been treated for skin cancer for a third time.

The 46-year-old actor was recently pictured with another bandage on his nose and his representatives confirmed to E! News he has been treated for Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC).

Hugh Jackman’s representatives say he’s “all good” after the procedure.

BCC is a slow-growing skin cancer and is linked to sun exposure.

It accounts for about 75% of skin cancers but rarely kills.

Hugh Jackman has been treated for skin cancer for a third time
Hugh Jackman has been treated for skin cancer for a third time

Last night, Hugh Jackman tweeted: “Sunscreen” with a picture reference to Baz Luhrmann’s 1998 song Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen.

Hugh Jackman first revealed he was diagnosed with BCC in November, when he posted a picture of himself online after a similar procedure.

At the time, the actor said his prognosis was good and pleaded with fans to stay protected from the sun.

He then had more cancerous cells removed in May.

Hugh Jackman has recently said he believes he’ll have many many more scares but claims it’s the most “minor” of all the skin cancers.

His wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, first persuaded him to get the mark on his nose checked by a doctor.

Surgery is the main treatment for BCC. If left untreated, it doesn’t usually spread to other parts of the body, but it can damage or disfigure surrounding tissue.

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Ebola outbreak: World Bank appeals for 5,000 health workers to volunteer in West Africa

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World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has made an emotional appeal for thousands of medical workers to volunteer and help contain the growing Ebola outbreak.

Jim Yong Kim said at least 5,000 medics and support staff are needed to beat the disease.

Many potential recruits were too scared to travel to West Africa, he added.

The current Ebola outbreak has infected more than 10,000 people and killed nearly 5,000.

Jim Yong Kim was speaking during a visit to Ethiopia, where he accompanied UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon and African Union Chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

“Right now, I’m very much worried about where we will find those health care workers,” he said.

“With the fear factor going out of control in so many places, I hope health care professionals will understand that when they took their oath to become a health care worker it was precisely for moments like this.”

Ban-ki Moon said that transmission rates in West Africa continued to outstrip the pace of the international response.

At least 5,000 medics and support staff are needed in West Africa to beat the Ebola disease
At least 5,000 medics and support staff are needed in West Africa to beat the Ebola disease (photo Reuters)

He added that imposing travel restrictions to affected countries would severely curtail efforts to beat the disease.

Meanwhile in the US, Dallas nurse Amber Vinson, who contracted Ebola on American soil, was due to be discharged from hospital on October 28 after being declared virus-free.

Amber Vinson was one of two nurses who cared for a Liberian man, Thomas Eric Duncan, in a Texas hospital. Thomas Eric Duncan, who had travelled to the US from West Africa, died on October 8.

The second nurse, Nina Pham, was declared virus-free last week.

On October 27, the CDC introduced new Ebola treatment guidelines.

The rules say that US medics returning from affected areas will be actively monitored but not placed in quarantine.

It came following criticism over the treatment of nurse Kaci Hickox was placed in isolation after returning from West Africa.

Kaci Hickox, who had no symptoms, said she was made to feel like a criminal when she arrived back in the US on October 24.

Responding to her quarantining, the UN Secretary General’s spokesman said Ebola health workers were “exceptional people” and “should not be subjected to restrictions that are not based on science”.

However, the new guidelines were immediately rejected by the governor of New Jersey.

In the US quarantine decisions are ultimately made at a state level.

Meanwhile in Mali, 82 people who had contact with a toddler who died from Ebola are now being monitored, according to Reuters.

Mali recently became the sixth West African nation to report an outbreak.

Officials are concerned that the disease, which has so far been largely restricted to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, may spread.

Since the boy died last week there have been no new reported cases.

There have been 4,922 deaths from the Ebola virus, according to the World Health Organization’s latest figures.

All but 27 of the cases have occurred inside Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

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Sewol ferry: Body found six months after capsizing

South Korean search divers have found a body in the sunken Sewol ferry, six months after it capsized leaving more than 300 people, mainly students, dead.

The body was found in a woman’s toilet, said Yonhap. It is the first body to be recovered in three months.

The Sewol ferry carrying 476 people sank in April 2014. The official death toll stands at 295, but nine bodies have yet to be recovered by rescue teams.

The captain of the ferry is standing trial, charged with negligent homicide.

Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Lee Joon-seok and harsh penalties for the crew.

The Sewol ferry capsized in April leaving more than 300 people, mainly students, dead
The Sewol ferry capsized in April leaving more than 300 people, mainly students, dead (photo Wikipedia)

On October 27 they concluded putting their case before a court in the city of Gwangju. They argued he did not make any effort to rescue passengers and deserved a death sentence.

The last time divers found a body was on July 18 when a female cook was found in the ferry’s cafeteria.

The families of the missing passengers have refused to allow the ship to be hoisted up as they are concerned that the rest of the bodies might be swept out to sea.

Investigators have said a combination of cargo overloading, illegal modification of the vessel and inexperienced helmsmanship was behind the disaster.

The Sewol ferry’s sinking sparked widespread grief and anger in South Korea.

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Ebola in US: CDC issues new guidelines for quarantines

Medical staff returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa will be actively monitored but not placed in quarantine under new US health rules.

The federal guidelines came after nurse Kaci Hickox was put in isolation in a tent in New Jersey, a decision condemned by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Meanwhile, Australia has been criticized for a West Africa visa ban.

The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa has infected more than 10,000 people and killed almost 5,000.

People are not contagious until they develop Ebola symptoms and the UN Secretary-General’s spokesman said “returning health workers are exceptional people who are giving of themselves for humanity”.

“They should not be subjected to restrictions that are not based on science.”

Medical staff returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa will be actively monitored but not placed in quarantine under new US health rules
Medical staff returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa will be actively monitored but not placed in quarantine under new US health rules

Quarantine decisions in the US are made in each state, and the new guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were immediately rejected by the governor of New Jersey.

The CDC said it was “concerned about some policies” being put into place.

New Jersey is one of three states with a 21-day quarantine for all health workers who have had contact with Ebola patients.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie defended the mandatory isolation imposed on Kaci Hickox, who was quarantined when she returned home from Sierra Leone.

Chris Christie added: “That’s what we will continue to do.”

Kaci Hickox, who had no symptoms, has now left hospital in New Jersey for her home in Maine, where health officials say she’ll be quarantined for 21 days.

The nurse said she was made to feel like a criminal when she arrived back in the US on October 24.

Separately, Australia, which has had several scares but no recorded case of Ebola, has been criticized by Amnesty International for taking a “narrow approach”.

A spokesman told Reuters that the ban made no sense from a health perspective but ensured that vulnerable people were trapped in a crisis area.

CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said workers considered to be at high risk or some risk would be required to be “actively” monitored for symptoms for 21 days.

Those at highest risk are anyone who’s had direct contact with an Ebola patient’s body fluids.

Even if they have no symptoms, they should avoid commercial travel and large public events, Dr. Tom Frieden said, adding that voluntary quarantine was enough.

More than 10,000 people have contracted the Ebola virus, with 4,922 deaths, according to the World Health Organization’s latest figures.

All but 27 of the cases have occurred inside Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

The Ebola virus spreads through close contact.

Health officials say stopping the spread of the disease in the areas hardest hit by the outbreak will prevent Ebola’s spread to other countries.

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Mexican students disappearance: Second mass grave found in Cocula

Authorities searching for 43 Mexican students who disappeared after clashing with police in Iguala last month are investigating a suspected mass grave.

Mexico’s attorney general said the testimony of two arrested members of a drug gang had led them to the site.

He said police officers had confessed to handing the students over to the drugs gang in southern Guerrero state.

The disappearance has shocked Mexico and has sparked nationwide demonstrations.

Earlier this month, another mass grave was found, but DNA tests suggest the bodies were not those of the students.

So far, 56 people have been arrested in connection with the disappearance, among them police officers, local officials and alleged members of the drugs gang. The state governor has also resigned over the case.

The students’ disappearance has shocked Mexico and has sparked nationwide demonstrations
The students’ disappearance has shocked Mexico and has sparked nationwide demonstrations

Arrest warrants have been issued for the mayor of the town of Iguala, where the abductions took place, his wife and the police chief, all of whom are on the run from the authorities.

The mayor, Jose Luis Abarca, allegedly ordered police to intercept the students to prevent them from interrupting a speech his wife was giving in Iguala.

Eyewitnesses say they saw the students being bundled into police cars after the police shot at buses carrying the students, killing three of them and three other people in nearby vehicles.

The latest grave site is in the town of Cocula, about10 miles from where the students last were seen.

Attorney general Jesus Murillo Karam said that two of the four suspects arrested on October 27 may have provided some valuable information

He said that they had admitted to “having received a large group of people” on the night of September 26, when the 43 students were last seen.

“We have the people who carried out the abduction of these individuals,” Jesus Murillo Karam told reporters.

He said the other two suspects detained on October 27 apparently worked as lookouts for the gang. The suspects have not so far been identified.

The four men arrested are all believed to be members of the group behind the abductions, called Guerreros Unidos (United Warriors).

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Giorgio Napolitano to testify at high-profile anti-Mafia trial

Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano will testify at a high-profile anti-Mafia trial in Rome.

Prosecutors are investigating possible collusion between ministers, police chiefs and the Mafia to end a period of violence in the early 1990s.

Giorgio Napolitano, 89, denies any knowledge of the negotiations.

Opposition politicians have called for Giorgio Napolitano’s evidence not to be held behind closed doors when the trial moves from Palermo to the capital on October 28.

There is no suggestion that he was involved in any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors are investigating a dramatic period of Mafia violence in the 1990s – marked by car bombings and assassinations.

They accuse the state of making an illegal deal with the Mafia to bring the violence to an end.

Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano will testify at a high-profile anti-Mafia trial in Rome
Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano will testify at a high-profile anti-Mafia trial in Rome

In October 2013, Giorgio Napolitano wrote a letter to the court saying he had “no useful knowledge” to give the trial, but would have been happy to give evidence if he had.

Prosecutors allege that government officials sought to make an agreement with the Mafia after bombings in 1993, reportedly promising less harsh jail conditions in exchange for calling off the bombing campaign.

Two leading anti-mafia prosecutors died in devastating explosions in Sicily.

A former interior minister, Nicola Mancino, is on trial for allegedly negotiating with the Mafia after the attacks in Rome, Florence and Milan.

Nicola Mancino denies the charges.

The court ruled last year that President Giorgio Napolitano could not be asked about conversations he had with Nicola Mancino in 2011 and 2012. Evidence from an intercepted phone-call was destroyed after an application from Giorgio Napolitano.

The former interior minister is on trial along with several other people including two jailed Mafia bosses, Toto Riina and Benardo Provenzano.

A final verdict in the case is not expected for at least two more years.

John Tory wins Toronto mayoral election defeating Rob Ford’s brother

John Tory, a moderate conservative, has been elected as the mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto, defeating the brother of controversial incumbent Rob Ford.

John Tory won 40% of the vote, ahead of Doug Ford, whose brother Rob admitted problems with alcohol and crack cocaine use during his four years in office.

Rob Ford, 45, announced last month that he would not seek re-election as he undergoes treatment for a rare cancer.

However, he did win election to a council seat in the Etobicoke district.

“In four more years, you’re going to see another example of the Ford family never, ever, ever giving up,” he said, hinting at another run for mayor.

John Tory has been elected as the mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto, defeating the brother of controversial incumbent Rob Ford
John Tory has been elected as the mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto, defeating the brother of controversial incumbent Rob Ford

The results of the mayoral election were announced on Monday night after more than 90% of the votes had been counted.

Doug Ford congratulated John Tory on his victory and said he was proud of his brother.

“I still believe he’s the best mayor ever,” he said.

Earlier this year, Rob Ford began rehab for drugs and alcohol problems after a slew of newspaper reports and videos that depicted him under the influence.

In 2013, Rob Ford admitted he had smoked crack cocaine in a “drunken stupor”.

Rob Ford was stripped of many of his powers by the city council.

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Mark McDaniel destroyed June Shannon and Sugar Bear’s relationship

According to new reports, Mark McDaniel destroyed June Shannon and Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson’s relationship, even though the child molester was behind bars almost the entire time June was with Sugar Bear.

June Shannon was keeping a box of photos of her and Mark McDaniel in the house, something Sugar Bear knew about and protested, to no avail, TMZ reported.  However, Mama June would not get rid of them.

Mark McDaniel molested June Shannon’s daughter, Anna “Chickadee”, when she was just 8-year-old.

Sources close to the family told the gossip website that Mark McDaniel was the subject of frequent arguments between June Shannon and Sugar Bear.  He felt she was still emotionally in a relationship with Mark McDaniel even though he had been locked up for years.

It appears June Shannon was seeing Mark McDaniel while she was still with Honey Boo Boo’s father after McDaniel got out of prison in March. The family now believes it was actually June who was cheating, not Sugar Bear, and she used the online dating story to get out of a relationship she had already rejected.

June Shannon could lose Honey Boo Boo custody

June Shannon could lose custody of her minor daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson.

The family may see their lives change drastically if Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services determines June Shannon is unable to keep three of her daughters, who are minors, safe from the man who her oldest daughter Anna Shannon Cardwell, 20, claims molested her when she was 8-year-old.

Reports surfaced last week that Mama June was dating Mark McDaniel again, who recently got out of jail after he served time for aggravated child molestation.

June Shannon, 35, denies she has rekindled her relationship with Mark McDaniel, 53.

Susan Boatwright, a rep for the Division of Family and Children Services, said due to privacy reasons she couldn’t comment on whether or not the agency was investigating June Shannon. She did, however, explain that cases like June Shannon’s would be taken very seriously by the department if they were notified a child was frequently in the presence of a s** offender.

June Shannon’s minor daughters could be taken away by child services
June Shannon’s minor daughters could be taken away by child services (photo Facebook)

“When [the Division of Family and Children Services] gets a report that indicates a child is living around someone who is a s** offender or who may have been guilty of child molestation, we would take that very seriously and go out and investigate and look at the parent’s protective capacity,” she said.

Susan Boatwright said with a case like the one the Shannon family is allegedly facing, child services “would look to see if the allegations that were reported were true and the next step would be to determine how safe or unsafe the children are in the current environment.”

She explained that if the parent is seen as being able to handle the situation and protect his or her children from the pedophile in question, the child will be left in his or her home. If not, child services would look to relatives nearby to try and find a safe home for the child.

Back in September, June Shannon split from Honey Boo Boo’s father, Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson. June Shannon is currently the primary caregiver for her three underage daughters: Ala, Lauryn and Jessica.

Anna Cardwell revealed that after she was abused by Mark McDaniel about 10 years ago, she left June Shannon’s home and went to live with a relative.

Susan Boatwright said young children tend to be more vulnerable to abuse, but anyone under 18 can be taken from a parent’s care if the division of child services determines the environment is unsafe. Honey Boo Boo is 9 years old, and a photo recently surfaced of Mark McDaniel seemingly touching her arm.

A typical child services investigation can take anywhere from 30 to 45 days, Susan Boatwright said.

TLC has decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo show after four seasons amid the scandal.

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Oscar Pistorius sentencing: Prosecutors to appeal against verdict

Prosecutors are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to South African athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Last week, Oscar Pistorius, 27, began serving a five year prison sentence for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp, although he could be out in 10 months.

The double-amputee Olympic sprinter was cleared of murder.

“The appeal on conviction is based on the question of law,” the national prosecuting spokesman said.

Oscar Pistorius’ family said that he will not appeal.

The athlete was also given a three-year suspended sentence for firing a gun in a restaurant.

Prosecutors are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to Oscar Pistorius for killing Reeva Steenkamp
Prosecutors are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to Oscar Pistorius for killing Reeva Steenkamp

“The prosecutors are now preparing the necessary papers in order to be able to file within the next few days,” Nathi Mncube from the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement.

Oscar Pistorius was charged by the prosecution with the pre-meditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate.

He was acquitted of this and the lesser murder charge of dolus eventualis.

In South African law, this charge – also known as common-law murder – applies if the accused knew they might kill someone but still went ahead with their course of action.

The judge’s critics have argued that dolus eventualis includes the possibility of meaning to kill one person and ending up killing another.

Oscar Pistorius says he shot dead Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last year by mistake, fearing there was an intruder in the house.

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Kaci Hickox: Ebola nurse to be discharged from quarantine after threatening legal action

Nurse Kaci Hickox, who was quarantined in New Jersey after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, will be discharged after threatening legal action over her confinement.

Kaci Hickox said she was made to feel like a criminal after returning to the US on October 24.

She is free of symptoms and will be flown privately to her home state of Maine, New Jersey officials said.

The White House and mayor of New York have expressed concerns over new strict quarantine orders in several US states.

The new rules in New York, New Jersey and Illinois require a mandatory 21-day quarantine for all health workers who have had contact with Ebola patients in West Africa upon their return to the US.

The measures were announced after a New York doctor who had treated patients in Guinea fell ill with Ebola last week.

Amid criticism the quarantine rules were overly strict, but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo eased the state’s restrictions on October 26.

Nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined in New Jersey after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone
Nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined in New Jersey after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone

Now, returning health workers who have displayed no symptoms will be allowed to pass the quarantine period in their homes, will be allowed contact with their families and friends, and will be monitored twice daily. Compensation will be offered for lost earnings.

More than 10,000 people have contracted the Ebola virus, with 4,922 deaths, according to the World Health Organization’s latest figures.

All but 27 of the cases have occurred inside Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Separately on October 27, a five-year-old boy was being tested for Ebola at Bellevue Hospital in New York City after visiting an Ebola-stricken country and developing a fever, hospital officials said. Test results were expected later in the day.

In a statement, the New Jersey health department said Kaci Hickox had tested negative for Ebola on Saturday and had been free of symptoms for 24 hours.

Kaci Hickox arrived at Newark Airport on October 24 and was placed in isolation after developing a fever, the health department said.

“She was cared for in a monitored area of the hospital with an advanced tenting system that was recently toured and evaluated by the CDC.

“While in isolation, every effort was made to insure that she remained comfortable with access to a computer, cell phone, reading material and nourishment of choice.”

Over the weekend, Kaci Hickox, of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said she underwent hours of questioning at the airport before being transferred to a hospital isolation tent outside University Hospital in Newark.

She described the experience as “frightening” and a “frenzy of disorganization”.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had defended the state’s quarantine requirements.

Kaci Wilcox’s lawyer Norman Siegel said her isolation raised civil liberty issues given that she had displayed no Ebola symptoms and did not test positive for the virus.

“We’re not going to dispute that the government has, under certain circumstances, the right to issue a quarantine,” he said, adding that “the policy is overly broad when applied to her”.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has described Kaci Hickox as a “returning hero”, but said that she had been “treated with disrespect” when put into quarantine.

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Pino Palmieri: Roscigno mayor invites whole town to breakfast

Pino Palmieri, mayor of the Italian town of Roscigno, has invited every family in his town to join him for breakfast at the town hall.

Pino Plmieri wants to listen to people’s problems, concerns and ideas, Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper reports.

The mayor is sending out official invitations to have a different family join him each morning at his office.

In order to “avoid criticism”, and spare the municipal coffers, Pino Palmieri says he will be footing the bill for each breakfast with his own cash.

Roscigno Mayor Pino Palmieri has invited every family in his town to join him for breakfast at the town hall
Roscigno Mayor Pino Palmieri has invited every family in his town to join him for breakfast at the town hall

Families in Roscigno, a town of about 800 people, will be able to choose what they fancy to eat and drink thanks to an agreement with the town’s main bar, La Citta di Salerno website reports.

“Every morning in the town hall I will welcome my fellow citizens and, over a coffee and a cappuccino, I will listen to their ideas to improve the liveability of our town,” Pino Palmieri says.

Pino Palmieri is not the only one getting an early start. Further north, in the Tuscan town of Cascina, Mayor Alessio Antonelli has announced he’ll be spending three hours every morning meeting people outside under a gazebo, according to the Pisa Today website.

Alessio Antonelli says he’ll be available to chat to on the street from 07:30 a.m, for 45 days in a row.

Ouija tops North American box office with $20 million

Ouija has topped the North American box office in the run-up to Halloween.

The horror film about young people who use an Ouija board to contact the spirit world.

The low-budget Ouija, starring Olivia Cooke, made $20 million between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates.

That put it ahead of John Wick, Keanu Reeves’ latest thriller, which made $14.2 million over the same period.

Last week’s top film, Brad Pitt’s World War II tank drama Fury, fell to three.

Made for just $5 million, Ouija‘s success is testament to US moviegoers’ appetite for modestly-budgeted supernatural fare without big-name stars.

Ouija has topped the North American box office in the run-up to Halloween
Ouija has topped the North American box office in the run-up to Halloween

Blumhouse Productions, the company behind the film, has enjoyed similar success with the Insidious, Purge and Paranormal Activity series.

Meanwhile, John Wick, in which Keanu Reeves plays a retired assassin out for revenge, exceeded industry expectations with its second place opening.

This week’s top five was rounded out by David Fincher’s Gone Girl and animated title The Book of Life.

Next week’s chart is likely to be dominated by Interstellar, the latest sci-fi epic from British director Christopher Nolan.

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Senzo Meyiwa dead: South Africa football captain shot dead in Johannesburg

Senzo Meyiwa, South Africa’s football captain and goalkeeper, has been shot dead in Johannesburg, police say.

Senzo Meyiwa, 27, was reportedly attacked after men entered his girlfriend’s house in Vosloorus, south of Johannesburg.

He played for Orlando Pirates and had played in South Africa’s last four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

On October 25, Senzo Meyiwa was in action for his club, when they progressed to the semi-finals of the South African League Cup.

Orlando Pirates beat Ajax Cape Town 4-1.

In a statement, the South African Police Service said two men had entered the house, around 20:00 local time. A third man remained outside.

Senzo Meyiwa played for Orlando Pirates and had played in South Africa's last four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
Senzo Meyiwa played for Orlando Pirates and had played in South Africa’s last four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers

All three fled on foot after shots were fired, in what local media reports say was an attempted burglary. One of the men had reportedly demanded Senzo Meyiwa’s mobile phone.

A reward of about $14,000 has been offered for information leading to the suspects’ arrest.

Senzo Meyiwa was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

He started playing for Orlando Pirates, based in the Parktown district of Johannesburg, in 2005.

“This is a sad loss whichever way you look at it, to Senzo’s family, his extended family, Orlando Pirates and to the nation,” said Pirates’ chairman Irvin Khoza.

Senzo Meyiwa was yet to concede a goal in his team’s current run of qualifying games in the Africa Cup of Nations (CAF).

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Brazil elections 2014: Dilma Rousseff re-elected president for second term

Brazil’s incumbent President Dilma Rousseff has been re-elected for a second term after securing more than 51% of votes in the closest election race in many years.

An official count showed Dilma Rousseff’s rival, centrist candidate Aecio Neves, taking just over 48% of the vote.

In her victory speech, Dilma Rousseff said she wanted to be “a much better president than I have been until now”.

She faced protests last year against corruption, record spending on the football World Cup and poor services.

Dilma Rousseff, who has been in power since 2010, is popular with poor Brazilians thanks to her government’s welfare programs.

The vote split Latin America’s biggest country almost evenly in two, along lines of social class and geography.

Dilma Rousseff called on all Brazilians “to unite in favor of Brazil’s future” and said she would seek political reform.

“This president is open to dialogue. This is the top priority of my second mandate,” she told a cheering crowd in the capital, Brasilia.

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has been re-elected for a second term after securing more than 51 percent of votes in the closest election race in many years
Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has been re-elected for a second term after securing more than 51 percent of votes in the closest election race in many years

She also thanked her supporters, especially her political mentor and predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

“I thank from the bottom of my heart our number one militant, President Lula.”

Dilma Rousseff’s re-election for a second term extends the rule of her Workers Party (PT), which came to power in 2002 with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Aecio Neves, of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), admitted defeat in a speech to supporters in the southern city of Belo Horizonte.

He thanked the “more than 50 million Brazilians” who voted for him and said he had telephoned the re-elected president.

“I… wished her success in the administration of her next government, and I reaffirmed what I feel should be our greatest priority, to unite Brazil on the basis of an honorable project which dignifies all Brazilians,” he said at the rally.

Aecio Neves was the governor of the southern swing-state of Minas Gerais for eight years.

Both he and Dilma Rousseff had made economic growth and lifting Brazilians out of poverty central to their election campaigns.

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June Shannon started dating Mark McDaniel since March?

June Shannon denied reports she was dating child molester Mark McDaniel or even seeing him since he went to prison back in 2004.

However, it appears that Mama June’s daughter, Anna Shannon, who was the victim of her ex-boyfriend child molester, decided to leave Here Comes Honey Boo Boo show on the same month Mark McDaniel was released from jail.

Was Anna Shannon’s decision to leave the show linked to a rekindled romance between her mother and the child molester?

June Shannon, 34, said that news of her rekindled romance with Mark McDaniel – who was indicted in June 2003 for molesting her daughter Anna “Chickadee” Shannon when she was 8-year-old – isn’t true.

However, sources claim that Mark McDaniel and June Shannon dated before he went to prison for assault in 2004, and they reconciled shortly after he was released in March.

Sources claim that Mark McDaniel and June Shannon dated before he went to prison for assault in 2004, and they reconciled shortly after he was released in March
Sources claim that Mark McDaniel and June Shannon dated before he went to prison for assault in 2004, and they reconciled shortly after he was released in March

Now, Honey Boo Boo’s older sister believes that her mother betrayed her by dating Mark McDaniel again behind the family’s back.

“I believe she is seeing him and hanging around him,” Anna Shannon told RadarOnline.

“I’m hurt,” she added.

Mark McDaniel, now 53, was sentenced to ten years in prison for his crime. He was released from Dodge State Prison on March 1, 2014.

On March 28, according to a statement posted on Mama June’s Facebook page, the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo matriarch announced that Anna Shannon was leaving the reality show: Anna is leaving the show, I am so sad but its her decision she wants nothing to do with the family.”

June Shannon split from longtime love and Honey Boo Boo’s father, 42-year-old Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, in September.
Meanwhile, TLC decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo amid Season 5 production.

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Here Comes Honey Boo Boo canceled after four seasons amid child molestation scandal

TLC has decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show after four seasons amid child molestation scandal.

The reality show was a spin-off of Toddlers & Tiaras and followed breakout beauty pageant star Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and her family in their hometown of McIntyre, Georgia.

Honey Boo Boo’s mother, June Shannon, came under scrutiny on October 23 when TMZ reported she was dating a man who was convicted and served time for aggravated child molestation of one of her relatives.

It was later revealed that June Shannon’s daughter, Anna Chickadee Shannon, was the victim of child molester Mark McDaniel. Now, Anna Shannon accuses her mother of betraying her by dating Mark McDaniel again behind the family’s back.

After that story broke, TLC released the following statement: “TLC is not currently in production on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. We are very concerned about this new information and are reassessing the future of the series.”

TLC has decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show after four seasons amid child molestation scandal
TLC has decided to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show after four seasons amid child molestation scandal (photo TLC)

On October 24, the network released a new statement announcing the show’s cancelation: “TLC has cancelled <<Here Comes Honey Boo Boo>> and ended all activities around the series. TLC is faithfully committed to the girl’s ongoing comfort and well-being.

Honey Boo Boo aired its fourth season finale in August 2014, which brought in 1.81 million viewers. A fifth season had not previously been announced.

On the same day, Honey Boo Boo’s family said in statement posted on June Shannon’s Facebook page: “We just want to thank from the bottom of our hearts the support that we’ve had from our fans, This experience has been awesome to us. Thank you guys for everything we love you all.”

On October 25, June Shannon issued a new statement defending herself: “I want to make a post trying to clear up the rumors remember you can’t believe everything you read! Ppl sell stories to the tabloid everyday that r false! It isnt true i promise my kids r #1 priority over anything else and I would never put them in danger period over this or anything else they r my life this is my past I left him 10 yrs ago for it and I wouldn’t go back.”

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Anna Chickadee Shannon reveals she was victim of June Shannon’s child molester boyfriend

Honey Boo Boo’s older sister, Anna Shannon Cardwell changed her mind after previously defended her mother June Shannon and vehemently denying reports that June was dating her child molester ex-boyfriend, RadarOnline reported.

Anna Shannon, 20, revealed that she was the 8-year-old victim of Mark McDaniel, 53, in 2002 and 2003- and now believes that her mother betrayed her by dating him again behind the family’s back.

“I believe she is seeing him and hanging around him,” Anna “Chickadee” Shannon told RadarOnline.

“I’m hurt.”

According to the website, Mark McDaniel was indicted in June 2003 for aggravated child molestation and aggravated s**ual battery on his young victim.

Anna Chickadee Shannon revealed she was victim of June Shannon's child molester boyfriend Mark McDaniel
Anna Chickadee Shannon revealed she was victim of June Shannon’s child molester boyfriend Mark McDaniel

Though the case was dismissed, Mark McDaniel was later convicted on aggravated child molestation charges in another case in nearby Spalding County.

He was sentenced to ten years in prison for his crime. He was released from Dodge State Prison on March 1, 2014.

Meanwhile TLC has pulled the plug on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality show, June Shannon revealed t in a Facebook video.

June Shannon denied having had any contact with Mark McDaniel in more than 10 years.

June Shannon, 34, split from longtime love Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, 42, in September.

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Jessica Robertson launches bronzing lotions line for Podz & Dr. Sun Rx

Duck Dynasty’s Jessica Robertson, wife of Jep Robertson, is the new face of the tanning industry, courtesy of Podz & Dr. Sun Rx.

Jessica and Jep Robertson are married since 2001.

Jessica Robertson signed with the Kansas based company at the beginning of this summer.

Jessica Robertson’s line is including natural and bronzing tanning lotions, face and leg bronzers, moisturizers, make-up bronzing powders, nail polish, lip balms, and sunglasses
Jessica Robertson’s line is including natural and bronzing tanning lotions, face and leg bronzers, moisturizers, make-up bronzing powders, nail polish, lip balms, and sunglasses (photo Facebook)

Dr. Sun is producing several different lotion products for Jessica Robertson, while Podz is focused on sunglasses and accessories such as nail polish, lip gloss and facial bronzer. The company is working with Jessica Robertson on all product components, from what goes into the bottle as well as the packaging.

President of Podz & Dr. Sun Christy Hogan is thrilled to bring Jessica Robertson to tanning industry: “Our industry is full of celebrity faces and endorsements. Our company wanted to bring someone on board who not only shares our values as a company, but also has a fun and beautiful personality.”

Jessica Robertson’s line is including natural and bronzing tanning lotions, face and leg bronzers, moisturizers, make-up bronzing powders, nail polish, lip balms, and sunglasses.

Jep Robertson hospitalized after suffering from seizure while deer hunting

Duck Dynasty’s Jep Robertson took to Twitter to talk about his near-death experience after suffering from a seizure while deer hunting on October 19.

“Well, I about died this past Sunday…I’m doing much better now. Thanks for all the prayers! #seizuresuck #gladtobealive,” Jep Robertson, 36, tweeted on October 25.

Jep Robertson also posted a picture comparing himself to Steven Seagal in the hospital.

Jep Robertson suffered from a seizure while deer hunting
Jep Robertson suffered from a seizure while deer hunting (photo Facebook)

“Just like Steven Seagal, I’m hard to kill,” he added to the snapshot.

In a statement to Us Weekly, the Robertson family says: “Jep was rushed to the hospital and received immediate treatment. He is doing well now, but is still in the hospital for additional tests and observation, and he is being treated with antibiotics to cover a range of possible infections believed to have caused the seizure.”

The statement continues: “Our family would like to thank everyone for their love and support and ask that you keep Jep, Jessica and their children in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Duck Dynasty Season 7 is set to premiere on A&E on November 19.

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June Steenkamp: Reeva was about to leave Oscar Pistorius

In a recent interview, Reeva Steenkamp’s mother has said that it was bad luck her daughter met Oscar Pistorius as the “volatile” athlete “would have killed someone sooner or later”.

Speaking to The Times, June Steenkamp calls Oscar Pistorius “pathetic”, “moody”, “gun-toting” and “possessive”.

June Steenkamp rejects both Oscar Pistorius’ apology and his version of events, but admits: “He’s the only one who knows the truth.”

Oscar Pistorius, 27, is serving five years for the culpable homicide of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He could be out in 10 months.

The Paralympic champion was cleared of murder.

June Steenkamp, 68, told The Times, which is serializing her book, Reeva: A Mother’s Story, which is to be published on November 6, that Reeva had told her the couple had not yet entered a s**ual relationship and had “nagging doubts about their compatibility”.

She says: “She had confided to me that she hadn’t slept with him. They’d shared a bed, but she was scared to take the relationship to that level.

“She wouldn’t want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn’t sure. I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts, she didn’t think it was making either of them happy.”

June Steenkamp rejects both Oscar Pistorius’ apology and his version of events
June Steenkamp rejects both Oscar Pistorius’ apology and his version of events

June Steenkamp, who was not called to testify at the trial, says this may have played a part in what happened on the night of the shooting, Valentine’s Day last year.

She rejects his version of events, that there was no row and that he had thought there was an intruder in the toilet cubicle when he fired four shots through the door “without thinking”.

“There is no doubt in our minds that something went horribly wrong, something upset her so terribly that she hid behind a locked door with two mobile phones,” June Steenkamp writes.

Other words she uses to describe Oscar Pistorius are “arrogant”, “moody”, “combustible”, “trigger-happy”, “vague”, “evasive” and “shifty”.

She believes Reeva, 29, was about to leave Oscar Pistorius, 27.

She says: “Her clothes were packed. There is no doubt in our minds: she had decided to leave Oscar that night.”

In the excerpt of the book serialized in the paper, June Steenkamp refers to Oscar Pistorius’ apology to them in court.

“Why decide to say sorry to me in a televised trial in front of the whole world? I was unmoved by his apology.

“I felt if I appeared to be sorry for him at this stage of his trial on the charge of premeditated murder, it would in the eyes of others lessen the awfulness of what he had done. He was in the box trying to save his own skin.”

Nevertheless, the parents say they do want to meet Oscar Pistorius.

Although she says: “I am not entirely sure what I am going to say”, father Barry, 71, says he wants an apology.

“I would like him to really, truthfully say, although he said it in court, <<I’m sorry>>. I would like him just to say it to our faces.”

June Steenkamp also talks about the “wrenching pain that you get in your heart” when thinking of her daughter’s death.

“It’s always there. The minute your eyes open in the morning, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, there it is.”

Oscar Pistorius, an amputee sprinter, became the first athlete to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

He is serving his sentence in Pretoria’s Kgosi Mampuru II jail.

Oscar Pistorius was also given a three-year suspended sentence for firing a gun in a restaurant.

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Is Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody having healing powers?

A poll suggests that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is a good song for people to listen to if they feel unwell or down.

A ComRes survey for BBC local radio for Faith in the World Week, which is exploring the healing power of music, offered 1,000 people 10 choices.

Dancing Queen by Abba came second, with Happy by Pharrell Williams in joint third with “classical music” generally.

More than two-thirds of those polled said they like listening to music when they do not feel well.

Nearly 90% of respondents agreed that listening to music can make people feel better when they are sick or facing difficult times.

A poll suggests that Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is a good song for people to listen to if they feel unwell or down
A poll suggests that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is a good song for people to listen to if they feel unwell or down

Faith in the World Week, which runs until November 2, is examining how music can change and shape people’s lives.

Asked to select specific music, almost 30% of men choose Bohemian Rhapsody from the list provided. Fewer women – 23% – put it first, with 28% naming Dancing Queen. Only 16% of men opted for the Abba track.

Among the over-65s, classical music made more of an impression, with 39% saying they wanted to listen to it when they’re ill or down.

Among younger adults, Happy was the most popular song. Songs by Bob Marley, Robbie Williams and Michael Jackson were also on the list presented in the survey.

Bohemian Rhapsody is taken from Queen’s A Night at the Opera album.

Queen said they regarded the track as a showcase of their technical skill and the song encompasses several musical styles.

Although Bohemian Rhapsody topped the poll for its apparent cheering and soothing effects, its subject matter is a man’s confession to a murder.

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Ukraine elections 2014: Voters head to polls for new parliament

Ukraine is holding snap elections for a new parliament.

President Petro Poroshenko called the poll as he aims to cement a new direction for the country after the ousting of pro-Russian leaders earlier this year.

However, the vote will be overshadowed by a continuing conflict with pro-Russian rebels in the east.

About 3 million people in Donetsk and Luhansk regions will not vote. The separatists will hold their own polls next month.

Another 1.8 million people in Crimea, annexed by Russia in March, will not take part.

The vote also comes amid an energy crisis, with Russia cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine in June in a dispute over unpaid bills.

Ukraine’s economy is collapsing, with GDP forecast to fall between 7 and 10% this year.

The government hopes the elections will help stabilize the country, with pro-Russian parties considerably weakened by recent events.

Half of the 450 seats in parliament will be allocated proportionally according to a party list system, with parties needing to gain more than 5% to win seats.

Ukraine is holding snap elections for a new parliament
Ukraine is holding snap elections for a new parliament (photo Getty Images)

Another 198 lawmakers will be elected from individual constituencies, with 27 from Crimea and the rebel-held areas remaining vacant.

Most are nationalist and pro-Western, and ousted President Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions is not running.

However, three parties comprising his former allies are seeking votes in the south and east of the country.

“At last we will elect a pro-Ukrainian and not pro-Moscow, an anti-corruption and not pro-bribery, a pro-European parliament,” President Petro Poroshenko said on October 24.

Viktor Yanukovych fled in February after a wave of pro-Western protests in Kiev triggered by his refusal to sign a partnership agreement with the European Union.

Anger in eastern Ukraine at his overthrow turned to unrest with separatists seizing government buildings and beginning an insurgency in April.

At least 3,700 people have been killed since the conflict began, including 300 killed after a ceasefire was agreed on September 5.

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Nurse Kaci Hickox criticizes Ebola quarantine rules in New Jersey

Nurse Kaci Hickox, who was quarantined on her return to the US from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, has criticized the way she was dealt with at Newark airport.

Kaci Hickox, 33, said the experience was frightening and could deter other health workers from travelling to West Africa to help tackle the Ebola virus.

Illinois has become the third state after New York and New Jersey to impose stricter quarantine rules.

Meanwhile US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power is to visit West Africa.

Samantha Power will travel to Guinea on October 26, continuing later to Liberia and Sierra Leone – the three worst-hit countries.

“For me the benefits of having first hand knowledge of what is happening in these countries gravely outweighs the almost nonexistent risk of actually travelling to these countries, provided I take the proper precautions,” she said on Saturday.

She said she hoped her trip would “draw attention to the need for increased support for the international response”.

The White House has expressed concern that strict quarantine restrictions such as those imposed in New York, New Jersey and Illinois could put off aid workers and others travelling to West Africa to help mitigate the crisis at its source.

More than 10,000 people have contracted the Ebola virus, with 4,922 deaths, according to the WHO’s latest report.

Only 27 of the cases have occurred outside Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Kaci Hickox, of medical charity Doctors Without Borders, described seeing a “frenzy of disorganization, fear and most frightening, quarantine” on her return from Sierra Leone on October 24.

Writing for The Dallas Morning News, Kaci Hickox asked whether fellow health workers would “face the same ordeal”.

Nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined on her return to the US from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone
Nurse Kaci Hickox was quarantined on her return to the US from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone (photo My Space)

“Will they be made to feel like criminals and prisoners?” she questioned.

Kaci Hickox said she was kept in isolation at the airport terminal for seven hours and given only a cereal bar to eat.

She also denied that she had had a fever, saying she was merely flushed because of the upset caused by her treatment at the airport.

Though Kaci Hickox tested negative in a preliminary test for the virus, she will remain under quarantine for three weeks and continue to be monitored by health officials.

Stricter quarantine measures were put in place in New York and New Jersey after a doctor, Craig Spencer, tested positive for the virus on his return from Guinea last week.

Dr. Craig Spencer is currently being treated at New York’s Bellevue Hospital in isolation.

The new measures mean that anyone who has had contact with Ebola victims in West Africa now faces a mandatory 21-day quarantine period.

Illinois governor Pat Quinn announced on October 25 that his state would start imposing the same measures, without providing further details.

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was not consulted over the new rules, which were ordered by the state governors of New York and New Jersey.

“The state has the right to make its decision, just like the CDC does, and we’re going to work with them,” he told reporters on October 25.

President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio and online address that Americans had “to be guided by the facts – not fear”, reiterating that people cannot contract Ebola unless they have come into direct contact with an infected patient’s bodily fluids.

Barack Obama’s comments follow the release of the WHO’s latest report, which warned that the number of Ebola cases in West Africa could be much higher than recorded, as many families were keeping relatives at home rather than taking them to treatment centers.

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Tunisia elections 2014: First full parliament to be elected under new constitution

Tunisians are voting to elect the country’s first full parliament under a new constitution passed earlier this year.

The election is one of the final stages in the political transition which followed the ousting of authoritarian leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

There are no opinion polls, but the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which won Tunisia’s last national election in 2011, is expected to do well.

Its main rival is likely to be the liberal Nidaa Tounes (Tunisia’s Call).

Most of the major parties have vowed to tackle Tunisia’s high unemployment and to reinvigorate its economy.

Tunisia is seen as the birthplace of the “Arab Spring” – the pro-democracy movement which sought to replace autocratic governments in several Arab countries.

The country is considered to have had the most successful outcome, with relatively low levels of violence.

Tunisians are voting to elect the country’s first full parliament under a new constitution passed earlier this year
Tunisians are voting to elect the country’s first full parliament under a new constitution passed earlier this year (photo Reuters)

However, radical groups within Tunisia have threatened to disrupt the elections and on October 23 militants shot a policeman on the outskirts of the capital, Tunis.

More than 50,000 security personnel and nearly 20,000 soldiers are expected to be deployed on Sunday to ensure safe voting.

Around five million Tunisians have registered to vote, with overseas residents having already cast their votes on October 24.

Some observers fear a low turnout, arguing that voters have become disaffected with politics after a lack of economic progress in the years following Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s overthrow.

Results are expected on October 29. Ennahda, which currently rules in coalition with other parties, has promised to pursue a unity government even if it wins the most seats.

Tunisia is set to hold a presidential election on November 23, which will deliver the country’s first directly elected leader following the ousting of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in street protests almost four years ago.

The protests, which began in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid in late 2010, later gathered pace and spread across much of the Arab world the following year.

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