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Ebola outbreak: Liberian medical staff on national strike over risk fee

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola outbreak: Liberian medical staff on national strike over risk fee

Liberian nurses and medical assistants are on national strike, as the Ebola epidemic continues in the country.

The National Health Workers Association wants an increase in the monthly risk fee paid to those treating Ebola cases.

In the US, President Barack Obama has directed more steps to be taken to ensure high safety procedures when dealing with suspected Ebola patients.

A health worker treating an Ebola victim has herself caught the virus.

Liberia’s Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said a strike would have negative consequences on those suffering from Ebola and would adversely affect progress made so far in the fight against the disease.

The government says the scale of the epidemic means it now cannot afford the risk fee originally agreed.

Liberia’s National Health Workers Association wants an increase in the monthly risk fee paid to those treating Ebola cases
Liberia’s National Health Workers Association wants an increase in the monthly risk fee paid to those treating Ebola cases

The risk fee is currently less than $500 a month, on top of basic salaries of between $200 and $300. Staff is now seeking a risk fee of $700 a month.

The health workers also want personal protective equipment and insurance.

Ninety-five of their colleagues have so far died from Ebola. Liberia is one of the countries worst affected by the epidemic.

More than 4,000 people have so far died in the Ebola outbreak.

A new UN centre to co-ordinate the fight against the epidemic is being set up in Ghana.

Six months after the epidemic began in west Africa there are still only about a quarter of the treatment beds required to tackle it.

Food is now in short supply as markets are disrupted in some parts of the three countries worst affected: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

In Liberia, elections have been postponed because the gathering of people at polling stations would endanger lives.

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Oscar Pistorius sentencing begins in Pretoria court

Clyde K. Valle
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Oscar Pistorius sentencing begins in Pretoria court

Oscar Pistorius has returned to Pretoria court for sentencing after being convicted of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Oscar Pistorius, 27, was found guilty of the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp last month but he was cleared of murder.

His psychologist was the first defense witness to speak at the sentencing hearing, which could last several days.

Oscar Pistorius faces up to 15 years in jail, although Judge Thokozile Masipa may suspend the sentence or impose a fine.

Thokozile Masipa said the South African athlete had acted “negligently” when he shot Reeva Steenkamp through a toilet door, but in the “belief that there was an intruder”.

Oscar Pistorius had strenuously denied murdering Reeva Steenkamp after a row on Valentine’s Day 2013, saying he shot her by mistake.

Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, was hit three times by bullets shot through a toilet door by Oscar Pistorius at his home in the capital, Pretoria.

Oscar Pistorius has returned to Pretoria court for sentencing after being convicted of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp
Oscar Pistorius has returned to Pretoria court for sentencing after being convicted of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius’ personal psychologist Lore Hartzenberg told the courtroom on Monday, October 13, that the Paralympic champion was “very emotional” during grief therapy sessions, which were often disrupted by his weeping and crying.

Lore Hartzenberg said the athlete felt “vilified and humiliated” by the media and social media networks, making him feel “utterly worthless”.

Judge hokozile Masipa is to hear legal arguments and testimony from a number of witnesses before passing sentence.

The judge said the state had failed to prove he intended to kill.

Oscar Pistorius, who has been on bail since the verdict, was also found guilty on a charge of negligently handling a firearm that went off in a restaurant.

He was acquitted of another charge of firing a gun in public, through the sunroof of a car, and of illegal possession of ammunition in the home where he killed Reeva Steenkamp.

The parents of Reeva Steenkamp said “justice was not served” after Oscar Pistorius was acquitted of murder.

June and Barry Steenkamp told NBC News of their “disbelief” that the court had believed Oscar Pistorius’ version of events.

Earlier, Arnold Pistorius, the athlete’s uncle, said the family was “deeply grateful” to the judge for finding him not guilty of murder and that a “big burden” had been lifted.

South Africa’s prosecuting authority said it was “disappointed” that Oscar Pistorius was not convicted of murder but said it would wait until after sentencing to decide whether to appeal.

Despite the conviction, the International Paralympic Committee has said Oscar Pistorius would be allowed to compete in future events.

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Bolivia elections 2014: President Evo Morales wins third term in office

Diane A. Wade
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Bolivia elections 2014: President Evo Morales wins third term in office

Evo Morales is claiming a third term in office win in Bolivia’s presidential elections.

“This win is a triumph for anti-imperialists and anti-colonialists,” Evo Morales told cheering supporters at the presidential palace in La Paz.

Exit polls show Evo Morales on 60%, well ahead of his rivals, as votes are counted.

To avoid a run-off, Evo Morales must win 50% of valid votes, or 40% if that includes a 10-point lead over his nearest rival.

Evo Morales has overseen strong economic growth since taking office in 2006 and has been widely tipped to win.

He has presided over a period of economic growth and reduced poverty, using Bolivia’s commodity wealth to reduce poverty levels.

However, he has been criticized for failing to halt corruption.

Evo Morales’s party, the Movement Toward Socialism, is also expected to make gains and win a strong majority in Congress.

The poll passed without major incident, according to the electoral authorities and foreign observers.

Evo Morales has overseen strong economic growth since taking office in 2006
Evo Morales has overseen strong economic growth since taking office in 2006

Since 2006, Evo Morales’s government has focused on education subsidies, increased pensions and spending on public works.

He has been boosted by a boom in commodities prices that has helped propel export revenues nine-fold.

The revenue has helped fund policies that have created an average annual economic growth of 5%, well above the regional average.

It has also funded public works projects, including a cable car system for the capital, La Paz.

Some 500,000 people have been taken out of poverty.

The oil, gas, mining, telecommunications and water sectors have all been nationalized.

Evo Morales’s critics say he has introduced measures which are harmful to the environment and presided over a corrupt administration.

He is also accused of using millions of dollars in government cash to fund his re-election campaign and that this has helped create a fractured opposition.

Heading into the elections, Samuel Doria Medina was Evo Morales’ closest rival.

Samuel Doria Medina vowed to clean up the judiciary if elected.

Evo Morales will want to maintain his two-thirds control of Bolivia’s Senate and assembly, which are also holding elections.

This could allow him to alter the constitution to permit a fourth term in office.

Evo Morales has already benefited from a court ruling that permitted him to run for a third term.

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John Luke Robertson celebrates 19th birthday

Sonia Pantiss
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John Luke Robertson celebrates 19th birthday

Duck Dynasty’s John Luke Robertson celebrated his 19th birthday with his family on October 11.

John Luke Robertson is the eldest son of the five children of Korie and Willie, the latter of which is one of Phil and Miss Kay’s four children.

His father, Willie Robertson, tweeted on his birthday: “19 years ago I welcomed my first son @John316Luke923 into the world!”

“Happy Birthday big boy. The worlds a better place with u in it.”

At his birthday party with the family, John Luke Robertson proposed to his girlfriend Mary Kate McEacharn.

His mother, Korie Robertson, tweeted her congratulations to their son over the engagement news.

John Luke Robertson is the eldest son of the five children of Korie and Willie
John Luke Robertson is the eldest son of the five children of Korie and Willie (photo Facebook)

“Yes, it’s true @John316Luke923 proposed to this beauty @MaryKateMcE last night!” she said.

“We couldn’t be more excited!! #love”

Mary Kate McEacharn posted on her Instagram page on October 11 a photo showing her flashing a sparkling engagement ring and her new fiancé holding a sign that reads: “Future Mrs. Robertson.”

“Happy Birthday to the boy I’m going to marry,” Mary Kate McEacharn wrote.

John Luke Robertson shared the same photo writing: “She. Said. Yes. @missmarymcmcmc.”

Korie and Willie Robertson wed in 1992 when she was 18 and he was 19.

Ferguson October protests: At least 17 people arrested in St Louis

Nancy Clayson
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Ferguson October protests: At least 17 people arrested in St Louis

At least 17 people have been arrested in St Louis, Missouri, during a weekend of planned protests against police shootings.

Demonstrators were held for unlawful assembly after staging a sit-in outside a convenience store early on Sunday, October 12.

Thousands of people in Missouri have taken part in rallies and vigils as part of a four-day event named Ferguson October.

Weeks of protests have been sparked by the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson.

Several demonstrators gathered outside a QuikTrip petrol station and convenience store in St Louis on Sunday morning, refusing to disperse.

Riot police used pepper spray to clear the protest.

Thousands of people in Missouri have taken part in rallies and vigils as part of a four-day event named Ferguson October
Thousands of people in Missouri have taken part in rallies and vigils as part of a four-day event named Ferguson October

St Louis police chief Sam Dotson said on his Twitter account that the protesters were “attempting to storm” the store and had thrown rocks at police officers.

Protesters denied throwing rocks at the police.

A QuikTrip store in Ferguson was wrecked during violent protests in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s killing, and later became a gathering point for protesters.

Tensions in St Louis are also high after another black teenager, Vonderrit D. Myers, was shot dead by a police officer on Wednesday.

Police said 18-year-old Vonderrit D. Myers shot at an officer, but the victim’s parents say he was unarmed and racially profiled.

Ferguson October began on Friday, October 10, when hundreds of demonstrators lined up outside the office of the local prosecutor, Robert McCulloch.

Demonstrators chanted slogans calling for Robert McCulloch to charge Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown in August.

On October 11, there was a peaceful march through the centre of St Louis to the Keiner Plaza park. The crowd was larger than the day before, according to the Associated Press.

“This isn’t going to stop until there is change with police and black youth,” Tory Russell, one of the protest organizers, said.

Protest organizers said the weekend of events was intended “to build momentum for a nationwide movement against police violence”.

“We are here to bring peace, to bring restoration, to lift our banners in the name of those who’ve been sacrificed,” said another protest organizer, Montague Simmons.

Planned events include street protests as well as a music event and a day of “civil disobedience”.

Organizers have urged people from across the US to attend.

A US justice department investigation into the shooting of Michael Brown in August is continuing.

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CDC: Texas hospital breach of protocol led to second US Ebola case

Kathryn R. Bown
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CDC: Texas hospital breach of protocol led to second US Ebola case

Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has said a mistake was “clearly” made by staff treating Thomas Eric Duncan who died of Ebola in Texas, resulting in one being infected.

The female health worker infected is in an isolation ward in stable condition, awaiting confirmation of her diagnosis.

Tom Frieden said a full inquiry would be made into how the transmission occurred.

He said 48 other people who may also have had contact were being observed.

The health worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital wore full protective gear while treating Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan, health officials in Dallas say.

Thomas Eric Duncan, who caught the virus in his native Liberia, died on October 8.

The current Ebola outbreak, concentrated in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, has resulted in more than 8,300 confirmed and suspected cases, and at least 4,033 deaths.

Dr. Thomas Frieden said a full investigation would be conducted into how the infection had occurred.

A female health worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has been infected with Ebola virus after treating Thomas Eric Duncan
A female health worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has been infected with Ebola virus after treating Thomas Eric Duncan

“Clearly there was a breach in protocol,” he told CBS.

The CDC investigation, he told reporters, would focus on possible breaches made during two “high-risk procedures”, dialysis and respiratory intubation.

Education and training of health workers would be stepped up, he said, and efforts would be made to reduce the number of staff treating Ebola cases.

Dr. Daniel Varga, of the Texas Health Resource, said the health worker had worn a gown, gloves, mask and shield when providing care to Thomas Eric Duncan during his second and final hospital admission.

Following a positive preliminary test for Ebola, follow-up tests on the infected health worker are due to be completed on Sunday, October 12.

Police are guarding the apartment complex where the woman lives in Dallas as decontamination work is carried out.

No details of her identity or position at the hospital have been given, in accordance with family wishes.

Thomas Eric Duncan tested positive in Dallas on September 30, 10 days after arriving on a flight from Monrovia via Brussels.

He had become ill a few days after arriving in the US, and went to the hospital in Dallas with a high fever.

However, despite telling medical staff he had been in Liberia, Thomas Eric Duncan was sent home with painkillers and antibiotics.

Thomas Eric Duncan was later put into an isolation unit at the hospital but died despite being given an experimental drug.

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Robert Redford to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Lincoln Center Film Society

Sonia Pantiss
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Robert Redford to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Lincoln Center Film Society

Robert Redford will receive Chaplin Award, a lifetime achievement award from New York’s Film Society of Lincoln Centre.

Robert Redford’s career highlights will be celebrated at a gala in New York in April 2015.

The society, which organizes the annual New York Film Festival, said that Robert Redford’s “impact is hard to measure in many ways”.

Recent Chaplin Award recipients include Barbra Streisand and Nicole Kidman.

Robert Redford’s career highlights will be celebrated at a gala in New York in April 2015
Robert Redford’s career highlights will be celebrated at a gala in New York in April 2015

The honor is given to the movie industry’s most notable talents, and has also lauded Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin, after whom the award is named.

Charlie Chaplin was the first recipient in 1972, while last year’s winner was director Rob Reiner.

Lesli Klainberg, the film society’s executive director, said that Robert Redford’s contribution as an actor has been significant, but also pinpointed his work as founder of the Sundance Film Festival.

“Without the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, we’d likely have a different industry. And they continue to have a huge impact,” she said.

“Obviously he’s a star that many of us have grown up watching from his films in the early ’60s to his current work.

“I happen to think he’s also had some of the greatest co-stars ever, from Natalie Wood to Faye Dunaway, Barbra Streisand, and, of course, his great bromance with Paul Newman,” added Lesli Klainberg.

Cyclone Hudhud hits India prompting evacuation of 300,000 people

Diane A. Wade
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Cyclone Hudhud hits India prompting evacuation of 300,000 people

Cyclone Hudhud has hit the eastern Indian coast, causing extensive damage and prompting the evacuation of some 300,000 people.

The cyclone, classed “very severe” and bringing winds of up to 120mph, is expected to make landfall soon near the city of Visakhapatnam.

Hundreds of trees have been uprooted and power lines brought down in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states.

Two people have so far been reported killed in Andhra Pradesh.

It is feared a storm surge of up to two meters could inundate low-lying areas and hundreds of relief centers have been opened in the two states. Disaster relief teams have also been sent.

The authorities say the next five to six hours will be crucial.

The strength of the cyclone has been revised upwards since October 10, and the Indian Navy is on standby to assist.

The two deaths occurred in separate incidents in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, the state’s disaster management department said.

Hundreds of thousands of people are evacuated as Cyclone Hudhud pounds the eastern Indian coast
Hundreds of thousands of people are evacuated as Cyclone Hudhud pounds the eastern Indian coast

One was killed by a falling wall and the other by a tree.

The streets of Visakhapatnam, one of the largest cities in south-east India and home to a major naval base, remain largely deserted.

K Hymavathi, the special commissioner for disaster management for Andhra Pradesh state, said: “Hundreds of trees have been uprooted and power lines knocked down.”

He added: “The situation is very severe. The national highway in the region has been shut.”

In its latest report, the India Meteorological Department said sea conditions would become “phenomenal” off the north Andhra Pradesh and south Orissa coasts.

It also warned that a storm surge of up to two metres would “inundate low-lying areas of Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam”.

Pradeep Kumar Mohapatra, a special relief commissioner, said that authorities were ready.

“The administration is fully geared,” he said.

“The collectors [senior government officials] have been given total clearance to take up any evacuation wherever necessary for vulnerable areas which are likely to be inundated.”

A super-cyclone in 1999 killed more than 10,000 people in Orissa.

India’s eastern coast and Bangladesh are routinely hit by cyclonic storms between April and November which cause deaths and widespread damage to property.

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UN: Ebola outbreak can be brought under control within three months

Kathryn R. Bown
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UN: Ebola outbreak can be brought under control within three months

Dr. David Nabarro, the UN’s senior system coordinator for Ebola, says he hopes that the outbreak can be brought under control within three months.

People were becoming aware that isolating those infected was the best way to prevent transmission, he added.

So far, there have been more than 8,300 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola, and at least 4,033 deaths.

Most fatalities – 4,024 – have occurred in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Cases have also been reported in Nigeria, Senegal, Spain and the US.

In a recent interview, David Nabarro said that the number of new cases was “quite frightening”, as the spread of the disease was currently accelerating.

At the beginning, many West African communities did not understand that the outbreak was an infectious disease, David Nabarro said.

So far, there have been more than 8,300 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola, and at least 4,033 deaths
So far, there have been more than 8,300 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola, and at least 4,033 deaths

“I think we’ve got much better community involvement [now] which leads me to believe that getting it under control within the next three months is a reasonable target,” he told BBC.

“By under control I mean… the numbers of new cases each week diminishes compared with the previous week to the point where there is no new transmission.”

The Ebola virus is spread by direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal.

Meanwhile, New York’s JFK airport began screening passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea for the Ebola virus on Saturday, in an attempt to stem the outbreak.

Passengers from those countries will have their temperatures taken and have to answer a series of questions.

Checks at O’Hare in Chicago, Newark, Washington’s Dulles and Atlanta’s airport will begin in the coming days.

The screening system is being introduced after Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the US, died in Texas on October 8.

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Mexico: Iguala bodies not all of missing students

Diane A. Wade
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Mexico: Iguala bodies not all of missing students

Mexican authorities say that some bodies found in shallow graves near the town of Iguala are not those of students missing after clashes with police.

The 43 students were last seen being pushed into police vans after a protest in Guerrero state on September 26.

“I can say that some of the bodies, according to the work of forensics experts, do not correspond to the youths,” said Governor Angel Aguirre.

Prosecutors believe police turned over the students to a drug gang.

The gang was linked to the family of Iguala’s Mayor Jose Luis Abarca Velazquez.

He, his wife and his head of security went on leave after the clashes and have not reappeared.

A formal search has been launched for them.

The 43 students were last seen being pushed into police vans after a protest in Guerrero state on September 26
The 43 students were last seen being pushed into police vans after a protest in Guerrero state on September 26

Angel Aguirre has promised new developments in the investigation over the next few days.

“I have big hopes of finding our young students alive. That is why we have now entered a new phase in the search for them,” he said.

The clandestine graves were located in the outskirts of Iguala following an anonymous tip off.

Twenty-eight burnt bodies were retrieved from the pits. Forensic experts are still working to identify all of them, said Angel Aguirre.

The students all attended a local teacher training college with a history of left-wing activism.

Six students were killed in two separate shooting incidents during the protests in Iguala, which lies some 120 miles south of the capital, Mexico City.

However, it is not clear whether they were targeted for their political beliefs.

Some think that they may have angered a local drug gang called Guerreros Unidos by refusing to pay extortion money.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Mexico to demand government action to locate the students.

President Enrique Pena Nieto went on national television to promise to identify and punish those responsible for the disappearance.

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Typhoon Vongfong causes flight cancelations and power cuts in Japan

Diane A. Wade
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Typhoon Vongfong causes flight cancelations and power cuts in Japan

Typhoon Vongfong brought heavy rain and fierce winds to the southern island of Okinawa, Japan, causing flight cancelations and power cuts to over 20,000 homes.

Officials have said the powerful typhoon will be the strongest storm to hit Japan this year.

Typhoon Vongfong is now heading north and is expected to make landfall on Kyushu island on Monday.

Earlier this week, typhoon Phanfone killed nine people in Japan.

Officials have warned Vongfong could bring high waves, storm surges, flooding and landslides.

Storm tracking website Tropical Storm Risk shows Vongfong losing power over the next few days, as it moves northeast along the rest of Japan.

It is said to be carrying winds up to 145mph, but is moving north slowly, at 10mph.

Japan is bracing for the arrival of powerful Typhoon Vongfong
Japan is bracing for the arrival of powerful Typhoon Vongfong

At least 14 people in Okinawa and Kyushu have already been injured by the strong winds, local reports say.

On October 10, an official from Japan’s Meteorological Agency told Reuters news agency: “There is no question that [Vongfong] is an extremely large, extremely powerful typhoon.

“It’s the strongest storm we’ve had this year, definitely, although it has lost some strength from its peak.”

It has picked up strength since it went through several South Pacific islands including Guam.

The Associated Press news agency said it caused little damage on those islands. It had caused brief power outages and there were no reports of deaths or injuries.

Last week parts of Japan were hit by Typhoon Phanfone, though that storm had rapidly lost power by the time it hit Tokyo on Monday.

Japan’s Kyodo news agency said nine people are now known to have been killed by Phanfone, including three US military servicemen in Okinawa who were washed out to sea. Their bodies have since been recovered.

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Vladimir Putin orders withdrawal of Russian troops stationed near Ukrainian border

Roy Siemens
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Vladimir Putin orders withdrawal of Russian troops stationed near Ukrainian border

President Vladimir Putin has ordered thousands of Russian troops stationed near the Ukrainian border to return to their bases, Russian media report.

Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said about 17,600 soldiers on training exercises in the Rostov region would be pulled back.

Russia has previously announced troop withdrawals that NATO and the US say were not actually carried out.

It has been accused of supplying troops and weapons to separatist rebels in east Ukraine – claims it denies.

The latest order comes ahead of a planned meeting between Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Friday, October 17.

Ukrainian troops have been fighting pro-Russia rebels in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk since April, in a conflict that has killed more than 3,500 people.

The two sides agreed a truce on September 5, but fighting has continued, especially in and around Donetsk.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops stationed near the Ukrainian border to return to their bases
President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops stationed near the Ukrainian border to return to their bases (photo Reuters)

“[Vladimir] Putin has ordered to start the returning of troops to regular station,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in quotes carried by Interfax and Ria Novosti news agencies.

Dmitry Peskov said this was because the period of training was completed.

Vladimir Putin made similar statements about withdrawing troops from the Ukrainian border in March and May.

However, NATO and US officials said they saw no evidence of soldiers being moved.

Correspondents say the deployment of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border is seen as a powerful tool designed to threaten the government in Kiev.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Italy on October 17.

President Petro Poroshenko told reporters: “I don’t expect the talks will be easy.”

“Russia’s role in the issue of providing peace… is difficult to overestimate,” he added.

Petro Poroshenko said he also hoped to discuss Russia and Ukraine’s gas pricing dispute.

Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine in June, saying the Kiev government had not settled its debts.

Ukraine could face gas shortages in the winter if the dispute is not resolved.

Syria: Kobane battle death toll hits 553 after less than a month

Roy Siemens
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Syria: Kobane battle death toll hits 553 after less than a month

According to new reports, at least 553 people are said to have died in a month in the Kurdish town of Kobane, Syria, under Islamic State (ISIS) attack.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based Syrian opposition body which monitors the conflict, counted 298 IS fighters among the dead.

US aircraft have bombed ISIS positions as Kurdish fighters cling on to the town’s vital border crossing with Turkey.

However, the defenders say they are outgunned on the ground.

“The supply of fighters is very good…” Kobane official Idris Nassan told Reuters news agency.

“But fighters coming without arms, without weaponry, is not going to make a critical difference.”

Correspondents watched from just over the border in Turkey on Saturday, October 11, as fighting raged for the town.

Turkey, wary of its recent long conflict with its own large Kurdish population, has ruled out any unilateral ground intervention.

Some 200,000 Syrian Kurdish refugees have crossed the border since the ISIS advance began nearly a month ago.

At least 553 people are said to have died in a month of fighting for Kobane
At least 553 people are said to have died in a month of fighting for Kobane

Meanwhile, fighting has continued in Iraq, where ISIS overran large parts of the north during the summer.

According to the Observatory, the true figure for deaths in the siege of Kobane could be more than 1,100 since the ISIS attack began on September 16.

Of the deaths it has been able to document, 226 are of Kurdish fighters and nine are of other Syrian opposition fighters, who were fighting on their side.

Of the 20 civilian deaths recorded, 17 were victims of ISIS executions, it said.

Kobane resounded to small-arms fire and explosions on Saturday following the failure of a pre-dawn ISIS offensive to take more ground.

According to the Pentagon, US air strikes on ISIS targets at Kobane since October 10 have hit an ISIS fighting position; damaged a command and control facility; destroyed a staging building; struck two small units of fighters; and destroyed three lorries.

Idris Nassan said the air strikes had helped the Kurdish fighters regain some territory in the south of the city but they were not enough.

“A few days ago, [ISIS] attacked with a Humvee vehicle, they use mortars, cannons, tanks,” he said.

“We don’t need just Kalashnikovs and bullets. We need something effective since they captured many tanks and military vehicles in Iraq.”

In Europe, at least 20,000 Kurds living in Germany marched in the city of Duesseldorf on Saturday to highlight the threat to Kurds in Kobane.

At a smaller rally in the Austrian town of Bregenz, two people were stabbed and seriously wounded when Kurdish protesters clashed with a rival demonstration, said to involve Turks and Chechens.

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Amal Alamuddin buys George Clooney two cocker spaniels for wedding gift

Lisa.Felice
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Amal Alamuddin buys George Clooney two cocker spaniels for wedding gift

George Clooney’s wife, Amal Alamuddin, bought him two cocker spaniels for a wedding gift.

Amal Alamuddin – who also gave her new husband customized cufflinks inscribed with his first name in Arabic ahead of their recent nuptials in Venice, Italy – reportedly surprised him with the new puppies during their honeymoon in Berkshire.

George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin tied the knot last month in Venice
George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin tied the knot last month in Venice (photo People magazine)

A source told Us Weekly magazine: “Amal bought George two three-month-old cocker spaniels for George as a wedding gift, and they were waiting for them at the house.

“One of them is really frisky and has to be kept on a leash. George loves them both!”

George Clooney, 53, who already has a cocker spaniel mix named Einstein adopted from a pet shelter, and Amal Alamuddin, 36, have barely left their new, secluded $8 million mansion since tying the knot.

The insider revealed a catering company delivers them meals for lunch and dinner every day, but “breakfast ,they do themselves.”

Lego Batman movie spinoff scheduled for 2017

Sonia Pantiss
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Lego Batman movie spinoff scheduled for 2017

Lego Batman movie is in the works and will be ready for release in 2017.

The Lego Movie was a huge hit in 2014, and it’s no surprise that talks of a sequel surfaced shortly after its release. Warner is planning to push back the direct sequel to The Lego Movie in favor of a spin-off starring one of the first film’s most popular characters: Batman, voiced by Will Arnett.

Lego Batman movie is in the works and will be ready for release in 2017
Lego Batman movie is in the works and will be ready for release in 2017

Chris McKay, the animation supervisor from The Lego Movie, is now said to be directing Lego Batman as well as The Lego Movie 2. Seth Grahame-Smith is set to write the script, while Arnett will again play the slightly obnoxious yet very funny plastic incarnation of the Caped Crusader.

What Warner seems to be planning is a Lego movie for each year after 2015. There’s a Ninjago film scheduled for 2016, while the Batman spin-off will land in 2017. It’s now thought that The Lego Movie 2 will show up in 2018.

Naomi Campbell calls Malala Yousafzai “Malaria” in Nobel Peace Prize congratulations tweet

Lisa.Felice
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Naomi Campbell calls Malala Yousafzai “Malaria” in Nobel Peace Prize congratulations tweet

Naomi Campbell took to Twitter just hours after Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to add to her thoughts on the occasion.

Naomi Campbell, 44, appeared to fall foul of autocorrect, spelling the Pakistani teenager’s name “malaria” and drawing an instant chorus of dismay from eagle-eyed Twitter users.

Malala Yousafzai, 17, became the youngest person in history to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, October 10.

Naomi Campbell took to Twitter just hours after Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to add to her thoughts on the occasion
Naomi Campbell took to Twitter just hours after Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to add to her thoughts on the occasion

Naomi Campbell’s offending tweet, which was still on the site more than seven hours after being posted, also included a link to an Instagram picture of the women’s education campaigner.

On the picture Malala Yousafzai is quoted: “I speak not for myself but for those without a voice – those who have fought for their right to live in peace.”

But once again the supermodel misspelt her name, tagging @malaria, an unknown Instagram user, in the post instead of the new Nobel laureate.

The super model later tweeted a correction, claiming her phone “spat out” the wrong spelling of Malala Yousafzai’s name.

The peace prize was awarded jointly to Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthifrom India, “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”.

Cairo Coptic Christian Church’s restoration completed after 16 years

James J. Williams
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Cairo Coptic Christian Church’s restoration completed after 16 years

The restoration of Coptic Christian Church Virgin Mary in Cairo has been completed after 16 years.

Also known as the Hanging Church because it is seated above a 2nd Century Roman fortress, it was home to the Coptic pope until the 13th Century.

PM Ibrahim Mahlab and Coptic Pope Tawadros II attended the opening ceremony at the church.

Christians make up about 10% of Egypt’s mainly Muslim population.

Egypt’s PM Ibrahim Mahlab and Pope Tawadros II attended the opening ceremony at the Coptic Christian Church in Cairo
Egypt’s PM Ibrahim Mahlab and Pope Tawadros II attended the opening ceremony at the Coptic Christian Church in Cairo

Many Christians were sympathetic to the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi last year and dozens of churches were damaged in the ensuing violence.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called for Christians and Muslims to be united and is said to have a good relationship with Pope Tawadros.

Ibrahim Mahlab said the restoration, which cost more than $5 million, was delayed by engineering challenges posed by subterranean water courses.

He was taken on a tour of the church to learn more about the renovation process.

The church is in a compound close to Cairo’s first mosque and one of the oldest synagogues.

Boko Haram releases 27 hostages in Cameroon

Roy Siemens
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Boko Haram releases 27 hostages in Cameroon

Boko Haram has released 27 hostages including 10 Chinese workers held for months in Cameroon.

The hostages were flown to capital Yaounde from the country’s far northern region after being freed early on Saturday, October 11.

They include the wife of Cameroon’s Vice-Prime Minister, Amadou Ali.

They were seized in two separate raids in May and July close to the Nigeria border. It is not clear how their release was secured.

Boko Haram is seeking to establish an Islamist state in Nigeria but its fighters often cross the long and porous border with Cameroon.

Many Nigerian civilians in border towns have fled to Cameroon to escape militant attacks, which have been stepped up in recent months.

In July, Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger agreed to form a 2,800-strong regional force to tackle Boko Haram militants.

Cameroon has reinforced its troops in its northern regions.

Boko Haram has released 27 hostages including 10 Chinese workers held for months in Cameroon
Boko Haram has released 27 hostages including 10 Chinese workers held for months in Cameroon

The freed hostages were taken to Yaounde general hospital upon their arrival in the capital, Reuters reports.

“You can imagine that after the ordeal they are very happy to be released and very relieved,” Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Cameroon’s Minister of Communications, told the news agency.

“But they are very weak. They are in very poor physical condition.”

President Paul Biya announced their release said in a statement on state radio: “The 27 hostages kidnapped on May 16, 2014, at Waza and on July 27, 2014, at Kolofata were given this night to Cameroonian authorities.

“Ten Chinese, the wife of the Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali, the Lamido [a local religious leader] of Kolofata, and the members of their families kidnapped with them are safe.”

No details were given on the circumstances of the release or whether a ransom was paid.

In July, Cameroon said Amadou Ali’s wife, Akaoua Babiana, and her maid were abducted in “a savage attack” on his home in Kolofata by Boko Haram militants.

Amadou Ali managed to escape to a neighboring town.

Efforts to step up regional co-operation gained momentum after Boko Haram caused an international outcry by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in north-eastern Nigeria.

The girls are thought to be held in the vast Sambisa forest, along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.

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Sarah Palin’s family brawl: Anchorage police release report

Nancy Clayson
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Sarah Palin’s family brawl: Anchorage police release report

Alaska police have released a report describing a drunken brawl involving the son, daughter and husband of former governor Sarah Palin.

According to police report, Sarah Palin’s children Track and Bristol and husband Todd were involved in physical altercations at a birthday party on September 6.

Prosecutors have declined to press charges in the incident.

Sarah Palin ran for US vice-president in 2008 and remains popular among the Republican Party’s conservative base.

She stepped down from the governorship of Alaska in 2009. She has since had a career in television and remains popular on the conservative speaking circuit.

On the evening of September 6, police were called to the Anchorage home of a man named Korey Klingenmeyer after a report of a brawl involving as many as 20 people.

According to witness statements, which are vague about the initial cause of the fighting, the Palin family and their entourage arrived at the house about 23:00 in a limousine.

Todd and Track Palin, 26, ended up in one fight with a group of men on the street outside the house, while Bristol Palin, 23, got into an altercation with the party host.

Sarah Palin's children Track and Bristol and husband Todd were involved in physical altercations at a birthday party on September 6
Sarah Palin’s children Track and Bristol and husband Todd were involved in physical altercations at a birthday party on September 6

Track Palin, described as bloodied, “belligerent” and “heavily intoxicated”, told police the family had come to the house to join the party, and that the fight began when a group of men began speaking rudely to his sisters and one of them “sucker punched” a friend.

Track Palin offered to fight and was subsequently attacked by two men, he told police. Todd Palin told police that “everything escalated and it was a situation they couldn’t walk away from”.

Sarah Palin, meanwhile, was at the scene but not reportedly involved in the violence.

Korey Klingenmeyer, who “appeared to be moderately intoxicated”, told police he was angry that the Palins had come to the party and “were causing the problems”.

Upon learning men were fighting outside his house, he told his guests not to get involved, he told police.

But then, he told police, Bristol Palin entered the property spoiling for a fight. Korey Klingenmeyer said he told her he would not have any fighting at his home, at which point Bristol Palin confronted him with profanity.

Then, Korey Klingenmeyer said he invited Bristol Palin to punch him in the face “if it makes her feel better”.

She did so, five or six times and “she was hitting pretty hard”.

Korey Klingenmeyer and other witnesses said Klingenmeyer never returned the blows.

Bristol Palin, meanwhile, told police she had intended to confront someone who she said had pushed her sister Willow, when Korey Klingenmeyer pushed her to the ground.

A witness, Matthew McKenna, told police that when the fight started at an intersection near the house, he told Todd Palin to gather his family and entourage and leave.

“He said the problem was that Bristol and Willow were drunk, as were their boyfriends,” the police wrote.

“McKenna apologized for wasting our time.”

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Justin Priest: Alaska parents mistakenly informed by police their son died in car crash

Nancy Clayson
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Justin Priest: Alaska parents mistakenly informed by police their son died in car crash

A couple in a small Alaska town was mistakenly told by police that their son had been killed in a car crash, leading to an extraordinary reunion hours later.

In Palmer on October 9, at about 03:00 an officer told Karen and Jay Priest their son Justin, 29, had been killed.

The devastated couple drove to Justin Priest’s girlfriend’s home to inform her, when he greeted them at the door.

In fact, another man with the same name but different birthday was killed. The Juneau police apologized for the error.

Juneau police mistakenly told Justin Priest’s parents that their son had been killed in a car crash
Juneau police mistakenly told Justin Priest’s parents that their son had been killed in a car crash (photo Facebook)

After hearing the horrible news, the Priests telephoned far-away relatives, then drove to Anchorage to tell their other son in person, they told Alaska Dispatch News.

Then, the grieving family set out to inform Justin Priest’s girlfriend of five years.

At her home at about 05:30, Justin Priest said he heard a knock on the door as he was getting ready to walk his dog. Still bleary-eyed from sleep, he was surprised to see his family. All erupted with joy, praising Jesus and embracing one another in tears.

“It opens and right here is Justin. I don’t even see it but Jay is sobbing. It doesn’t compute to me. Then I see him,” Karen Priest told the Associated Press news agency.

“You want it to be true, but you go, <<Am I hallucinating?>> Justin didn’t know what was going on.”

The Juneau police have apologized for the anguish, however momentary.

Justin Priest told the Alaska Dispatch that the family’s relief and joy is tempered by the awareness another family lost a son.

King Philippe of Belgium swears in Charles Michel’s government

Diane A. Wade
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King Philippe of Belgium swears in Charles Michel’s government

King Philippe of Belgium has sworn in a new centre-right government, more than four months after the general election.

The new cabinet is led by French-speaking liberal Charles Michel, 38, who will be Belgium’s youngest prime minister since 1841.

The government is the first to include ministers from the separatist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) party. It has vowed to cut government spending and balance the national budget.

Belgium is notorious for long political deadlocks following elections.

It took 541 days to form the country’s previous, Socialist-led government.

Charles Michel has become Belgium's youngest prime minister since 1841
Charles Michel has become Belgium’s youngest prime minister since 1841

Belgium is also deeply divided linguistically. Dutch-speaking parties performed well in the elections, but they chose to form a four-party coalition and appoint a French-speaking prime minister.

The N-VA, which campaigns for more autonomy for northern, Dutch-speaking Belgium, came first in the May elections.

Its leader, Bart De Wever, will remain mayor of Antwerp and did not join the government.

As well as a commitment to lower taxes, the new government plans to raise the pension age from 65 to 66 in 2025 and to 67 in 2030.

Outgoing prime minister, French-speaking socialist Elio di Rupo, has vowed to lead the political opposition to the policies.

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Michael Brown’s death: Four-day protests planned in Ferguson

Nancy Clayson
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Michael Brown’s death: Four-day protests planned in Ferguson

Protesters have joined the first march of a planned weekend of demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, against police shootings.

The protests were sparked by the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by police in August.

Weeks of protests and violence in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson followed Michael Brown’s shooting.

Tensions in St Louis are high after another black teenager was shot dead by a police officer on Wednesday.

Police in riot gear used pepper spray to try to dispel protesters angry at the shooting of Vonderrit D. Myers, 18.

Hundreds of protesters have joined the first march of a planned weekend of demonstrations in Ferguson against police shootings
Hundreds of protesters have joined the first march of a planned weekend of demonstrations in Ferguson against police shootings

Police said Vonderrit D. Myers shot at an officer, but the victim’s parents say he was unarmed and racially profiled.

Friday’s protest saw hundreds of demonstrators line up against police in riot gear outside the office of the St Louis prosecutor Robert McCulloch.

Demonstrators chanted slogans calling for Robert McCulloch to charge Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown in August.

Protest organizers said the weekend of events was intended “to build momentum for a nationwide movement against police violence”.

“We are here to bring peace, to bring restoration, to lift our banners in the name of those who’ve been sacrificed,” said protest organizer Montague Simmons.

The events, which will include street protests as well as a music event and a day of “civil disobedience”, have been branded “Ferguson October”.

Organizers have urged people from across the US to attend.

A US justice department investigation into the shooting of Michael Brown is continuing.

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Misty Upham missing in Washington for six days

Lisa.Felice
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Misty Upham missing in Washington for six days

Misty Upham has been missing in Washington state for six days, police said on Friday, October 10.

The Native American actress is known for playing a housekeeper in the movie adaption of August: Osage County.

Misty Upham, 32, was last seen walking by herself from an apartment on Sunday, October 4, around Auburn, some 20 miles south of Seattle, and was reported missing by her father on October 6, Auburn Police Commander Steve Stocker said.

Misty Upham has been missing in Washington state for six days
Misty Upham has been missing in Washington state for six days

Police responded to a suicide call from the apartment but Misty Upham had already left by the time officers arrived, Steve Stocker said.

There were no suspects or leads in Misty Upham’s disappearance and she is believed to have left on her own free will, Steve Stocker said.

Police had responded to suicide calls four times in the past year at the same apartment, Steve Stocker said, and Misty Upham’s parents have told police she is on medications for mental health issues.

Misty Upham, who was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her supporting role in the 2008 crime drama Frozen River has not been in contact with friends or family since her disappearance, police said.

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Lego will not renew Shell partnership after Greenpeace campaign

Clyde K. Valle
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Lego will not renew Shell partnership after Greenpeace campaign

Lego will not renew a promotional contract with Royal Dutch Shell following pressure from environmental group Greenpeace.

The Danish toymaker did not say when its “long-term” contact with Shell expires.

Greenpeace has been campaigning against Arctic drilling by oil companies such as Shell and has accused Lego of associating with “bad company”.

Lego toys are handed out to people filling up at Shell gas stations in more than 30 countries.

As part of a branding deal first signed in 2011, Lego has also sold toy brick sets in the shape of petrol stations and drilling rigs with Shell’s logos on them.

Greenpeace said Shell has been using Lego to build brand loyalty with millions of children who are the “next generation of consumers”.

As part of its campaign, the lobby group uploaded a YouTube video showing Lego toys drowning in oil in the Arctic, which received nearly six million hits.

Greenpeace has been campaigning against Arctic drilling by oil companies such as Shell and has accused Lego of associating with bad company
Greenpeace has been campaigning against Arctic drilling by oil companies such as Shell and has accused Lego of associating with bad company (photo Facebook)

Greenpeace said in response to Lego’s decision: “It should choose its partners more carefully when it comes to the threats facing our children from climate change.”

Lego Group president and chief executive Jorgen Vig Knudstorp said the company should never have become part of Greenpeace’s dispute with Shell.

“The Greenpeace campaign uses the Lego brand to target Shell,” he said in a statement.

“We firmly believe Greenpeace ought to have a direct conversation with Shell.”

“We do not agree with the tactics used by Greenpeace that may have created misunderstandings among our stakeholders about the way we operate,” Jorgen Vig Knudstorp added.

Shell said its contract with Lego “has been a great success and will continue to be as we roll it out in more countries across the world”.

The company has been exploring for oil in the Arctic since 1918 and is forecast to spend billions of dollars drilling for oil and other fossil fuels in the Arctic over the next decade.

In recent years, the practice has come under intense scrutiny because of concerns it will damage the environment and contribute to global warming.

“The extreme Arctic conditions, including giant floating icebergs and stormy seas, make offshore drilling extremely risky,” Greenpeace said.

“Scientists say that in the Arctic, an oil spill would be impossible to clean up meaning devastation for the Arctic’s unique wildlife.”

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Red Bull consumers can claim $10 after false advertising lawsuit

Clyde K. Valle
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Red Bull consumers can claim $10 after false advertising lawsuit

Benjamin Careathers, a regular consumer of Red Bull, sued the drinks giant for false advertising.

The American argued that after 10 years drinking the caffeinated soft drink he neither had wings nor any enhanced athletic or intellectual performance.

Red Bull slogan claims the fizzy drink “gives you wings”.

According to the complainant, the Austria-based firm deliberately misled unsuspecting customers to spend millions of dollars on the premium drink in the hope of gaining an edge on their competitors.

And fearful of a costly and time-consuming trial, Red Bull was forced to settle the case out of court, pledging to refund $10 to any US customer who bought the drink since 2002 and agreeing to amend future advertising.

Red Bull GmbH must pay $13 million to settle the suit, $6.5 million of which will go into a fund that will be paid out to an estimated 1.4 million consumers, who can apply for the refund through a specially created website.

“Red Bull settled the lawsuit to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation,” a spokesman said.

“However, Red Bull maintains its marketing and labelling have always been truthful and accurate, and denies any and all wrongdoing or liability.”

Red Bull slogan claims the fizzy drink gives you wings
Red Bull slogan claims the fizzy drink gives you wings

However, the class-action lawsuit, which began in January 2013, cited evidence in The New York Times, Nutrition Reviews and the European Food Safety Authority Journal that indicated energy drinks provide their boost through caffeine alone, not guarana or any other ingredient.

As a result, Benjamin Careathers argued, Red Bull’s performance-enhancing properties could only be tested by the quantity of caffeine in each can, which worked out more expensive that a cup of coffee from Starbucks.

“Such deceptive conduct and practices mean that [Red Bull’s] advertising and marketing is not just <<puffery>>, but is instead deceptive and fraudulent and is therefore actionable,” the suit said.

“Even though there is a lack of genuine scientific support for a claim that Red Bull branded energy drinks provide any more benefit to a consumer than a cup of coffee, the Red Bull defendants persistently and pervasively market their product as a superior source of <<energy>> worthy of a premium price over a cup of coffee or other sources of caffeine.”

The company’ pledge to refund $10 – or $15 worth of Red Bull products – to each drinker since 2002 has sparked an overwhelming reaction around the world, temporarily crashing the energydrinksettlement.com website.

It has since been confirmed that the amount refunded to individuals could be much lower than originally estimated, as more and more consumers apply for compensation from a finite pool of settlement money.

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