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Licia Albanese death: New York Metropolitan Opera star dies at 105

Sonia Pantiss
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Licia Albanese death: New York Metropolitan Opera star dies at 105

Licia Albanese has died at her New York home at the age 105.

The Italian-born soprano sang in hundreds of performances at New York Metropolitan Opera between 1940 and 1966.

Famous for her interpretations of the title roles in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and Tosca, Licia Albanese was revered worldwide.

In retirement Licia Albanese gave master classes around the globe and set up a foundation to support young singers.

Known as one of the last surviving prima donnas of the mid-20th Century, Licia Albanese denied being a diva.

“Diva? Hah! I was never a diva. No, no. What does it mean? Only God makes a diva,” she told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2004.

Soprano Licia Albanese sang in hundreds of performances at New York Metropolitan Opera between 1940 and 1966
Soprano Licia Albanese sang in hundreds of performances at New York Metropolitan Opera between 1940 and 1966

“No, just call me a plain singer with lots of expression.”

Born in Italy in 1909, Licia Albanese made her professional debut in the 1930s.

She went on to work with many of the great singers of her generation, including a late-career performance with Luciano Pavarotti.

Following early success in Italy, France and England, Licia Albanese went to New York, where she made her first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in 1940, singing the role of Cio Cio San in Madame Butterfly.

A Puccini specialist, Licia Albanese sang the role more than 300 times during her career.

She also wowed the critics as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, a role she performed with the New York Met more than 90 times – a record for the company that still stands.

Revered for her pinpont diction and sensitive dramatic interpretations, Licia Albanese appeared in the first telecast form the Metropolitan Opera in 1940 in a production of Verdi’s Otello.

A frequent collaborator with the conductor, Arturo Toscanini, Licia Albanese recorded regularly for the record label, RCA Victor.

Avoiding heavier roles that could be detrimental to her voice, Licia Albanese continued to sing into the 1980s, when she gave concert performances of Steven Sondheim’s Follies with the New York Philharmonic orchestra.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tops US box office for second consecutive week

Sonia Pantiss
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tops US box office for second consecutive week

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has remained on the top of the US box office for a second consecutive week.

The live action revival of the 1980s cartoon reptiles took $28.4 million, according to early estimates.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was at two with $24.7 million, bringing its three-week US haul to $222 million.

Let’s Be Cops opened at number three taking $17.7 million with action sequel The Expendables 3 debuting at four with $16.2 million.

It was a weak opening for the Sylvester Stallone film which sees a host of action stars of yesteryear including Dolph Lundgren, Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford team up as part of Stallone’s mercenary group.

Takings were well behind previous debuts in the franchise. In 2010 The Expendables opened with $34.8 million and The Expendables 2 took $28.6 million in 2012.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has remained on the top of the US box office for a second consecutive week
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has remained on the top of the US box office for a second consecutive week

The third installment is the first to be rated PG-13 – which allows children to watch the film although parents are advised caution – whereas the first two were R-rated, restricting under 17s unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Its lower rating, together with being leaked online before release, is thought to have damaged its performance in cinemas.

The Giver, starring Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep opened at five with $12.8 million.

The fantasy drama, adapted from the 1993 young-adult Lois Lowry novel, tells of a futuristic society in which a 16-year-old is chosen to be the receiver of its past memories.

North American box office Top 5:

  1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – $28.4 million
  2. Guardians of the Galaxy – $24.7 million
  3. Let’s Be Cops – $17.7 million
  4. The Expendables 3 – $16.2 million
  5. The Giver – $12.8 million

Source: Rentrak

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What is the National Guard?

James J. Williams
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What is the National Guard?

The Army National Guard (ARNG) is the primary United States federal and state military reserve force.

The group is organized by the US Army and US Air Force.

Every US state and territory has a National Guard. The Army National Guard is divided into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia, and operates under their respective governors.

The Army National Guard is the primary United States federal and state military reserve force
The Army National Guard is the primary United States federal and state military reserve force

The Army National Guard may be called up for active duty by the state or territorial governors to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as those caused by hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, as well as civil disorder.

The District of Columbia Army National Guard is a federal militia, controlled by the President of the United States with authority delegated to the Secretary of Defense, and through him to the Secretary of the Army.

Guard units may also be ordered into active duty for up to two years by the US president during national emergency.

The National Guard enlistment is voluntary.

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Ferguson riot: National Guard deployed to St. Louis as protests escalate

Nancy Clayson
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Ferguson riot: National Guard deployed to St. Louis as protests escalate

The National Guard has been sent to the town of Ferguson as protests escalate over the police shooting of black teenager Michael Brown.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed an order to “help restore peace and order and to protect the citizens of Ferguson”.

The decision was made as police clashed with angry crowds shortly before a second night under curfew began.

Police in Ferguson, a suburb of St Louis, said they came under attack and had “no alternative” but to respond.

Captain Ron Johnson said protesters had thrown Molotov cocktails and bottles at security forces, and set up barricades before the five-hour curfew began at midnight on Sunday.

“For those who would claim that the curfew was what led to [the] violence, I will remind you this incident began three and a half hours before the curfew was to have started,” Ron Johnson told journalists in Ferguson on Monday.

Correspondents at the scene described seeing smoke clouds rise up as police began to disperse the protests on West Florissant Avenue, with a helicopter beaming down a spotlight.

Some of the demonstrators were spluttering and poured bottles of water into their eyes as they felt the effects of tear gas. Others sought cover from the unrest inside a fast food restaurant.

The killing of Michael Brown by a white policeman in a street on August 9 has inflamed racial tensions in the largely black suburb.

The National Guard has been sent to the town of Ferguson as protests escalate over the police shooting of black teenager Michael Brown
The National Guard has been sent to the town of Ferguson as protests escalate over the police shooting of black teenager Michael Brown (photo AP)

Officer Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown after reportedly stopping him for walking in the street, disrupting traffic.

Governor Jay Nixon has criticized police for releasing surveillance video which apparently shows Michael Brown stealing some hours before his death.

Jay Nixon said the release of the footage “appeared to cast aspersions” on the dead man, saying “it made emotions raw”.

He also condemned the protesters: “These violent acts are a disservice to the family of Michael Brown and his memory and to the people of this community who yearn for justice to be served and to feel safe in their own homes.”

A preliminary post-mortem examination by the St Louis County Medical Examiner’s office on the day after Michael Brown’s death found he had been shot, police said, without disclosing how many times.

However, a preliminary private post-mortem report has since revealed that he was shot at least six times, including twice in the head, the New York Times reports.

The bullets did not appear to have been fired from very close range due to the lack of gunpowder on the victim’s body, forensic pathologist Michael Baden was quoted by the paper as saying.

Michael Baden flew to Missouri on Sunday to conduct a separate autopsy at the request of the family.

Officials last week confirmed that Darren Wilson was a six-year police veteran with no previous complaints against him. He has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting.

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Nepal and India floods kill at least 160 people

Diane A. Wade
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Nepal and India floods kill at least 160 people

Floods and landslides in Nepal and northern India have killed at least 160 people following days of torrential rains.

In Nepal, officials said at least 101 people were known to have died after rescuers found four more bodies. More than 130 people are still missing.

In northern Indian states severe flooding after rainfall left at least 60 dead and entire villages marooned.

The worst of the rain is now thought to be over.

At least 101 people were known to have died in Nepal floods
At least 101 people were known to have died in Nepal floods

Landslides and flooding devastated rural communities and cut off roads throughout the region. In Nepal, officials voiced fears about a possible cholera outbreak.

Rescue helicopters have been deployed to convey emergency supplies to those stranded.

More than 1,500 villages are inundated in India’s Uttar Pradesh state where 28 people have died and thousands have been left homeless.

In Uttarakhand, cloudbursts and landslides killed 32 and in Bihar at least two people have died.

“The flood situation arose following heavy downpours in Nepal, which led to overflowing rivers which originate in the Himalayan region including Tibet and Nepal,” news agency Reuters quoted chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh Alok Ranjan as saying.

In the north-eastern Assam state, the water level has risen to alarming levels in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, flooding large areas and killing one person, reports the Press Trust of India.

The Kaziranga National Park and the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary are also heavily flooded, forcing animals to move to highlands to protect themselves, the agency added.

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Ricardo Izurieta: Augusto Pinochet successor as Chile’s army commander dies aged 71

Diane A. Wade
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Ricardo Izurieta: Augusto Pinochet successor as Chile’s army commander dies aged 71

Ricardo Izurieta, Chile’s ex-army commander, has passed away at his home aged 71.

Gen. Ricardo Izurieta succeeded Augusto Pinochet as army commander in 1998, during the country’s difficult transition towards democracy.

In a statement, the army praised Ricardo Izurieta for uniting Chilean society.

He helped set up a human rights commission to investigate serious abuses committed during military rule.

The commission’s work led the military to admit that it had dropped the bodies of political prisoners into the sea during the dictatorship.

Lieutenant-General Ricardo Izurieta took over from General Augusto Pinochet as commander-in-chief of the Army in March 1998
Lieutenant-General Ricardo Izurieta took over from General Augusto Pinochet as commander-in-chief of the Army in March 1998

Ricardo Izurieta took over from Gen. Augusto Pinochet as commander-in-chief of the Army in March 1998 and stayed in the post until 2002.

Augusto Pinochet had seized power in a coup in 1973 and stood down as president in 1990. But remained as army commander for another eight years.

During the 1973-1990 period Augusto Pinochet led the brutal persecution to supporters of the deposed Socialist President, Salvador Allende.

According to official figures, 40,018 people were victims of human rights abuses in the Pinochet years and 3,065 were killed or disappeared.

Ricardo Izurieta was appointed to replace Augusto Pinochet as army commander by Chile’s democratically-elected President, Eduardo Frei.

“He united the army and the whole Chilean society, without excluding anyone,” the army said in a statement.

The Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jose Miguel Insulza, also praised Gen. Ricardo Izurieta role in Chile’s democratic transition.

“He was someone I could rely on in difficult times,” said Jose Miguel Insulza, who was forced to leave Chile after the 1973 coup.

Ricardo Izurieta will be buried at the Military Academy in Santiago on Tuesday. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Augusto Pinochet died in hospital in December 2006, aged 91.

In October 1998, he was arrested while on holiday in London.

The Spanish government sought to put Augusto Pinochet on trial in Madrid over the deaths of its citizens in Chile, but he was released and returned to Santiago in March 2000.

Ricardo Izurieta was at the Air Force base in Santiago to welcome his former commander.

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Pope Francis urges for reconciliation between North Korea and South Korea

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Francis urges for reconciliation between North Korea and South Korea

Pope Francis has urged for reconciliation between the two Koreas, on the final day of his visit to South Korea.

Koreans, Pope Francis said, should reject a “mindset of suspicion and confrontation” and find new paths to build peace.

The pontiff spoke at a Mass in Seoul’s main cathedral attended by President Park Geun-hye and North Korean defectors.

The service coincided with the start of major US-South Korea military exercises.

The annual drills, called Ulchi Freedom Guardian, last for 12 days and involve some 80,000 US and South Korean service personnel.

The exercises always enrage North Korea, which has in recent weeks conducted a series of short-range missile tests – including one as the Pope arrived.

It has threatened a “merciless” retaliatory strike in response to the drills.

North Korea and South Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice and not a peace treaty.

Pope Francis has urged for reconciliation between the two Koreas, on the final day of his visit to South Korea
Pope Francis has urged for reconciliation between the two Koreas, on the final day of his visit to South Korea (photo EPA)

Speaking at Myeongdong Cathedral, Pope Francis said all Koreans were “brothers and sisters, members of one family, one people”.

“Let us pray for the emergence of new opportunities for dialogue, encounter and the resolution of differences,” he said.

He also called for generosity in providing humanitarian assistance to those in need, and urged Koreans to work together as one, “with no victors or vanquished”.

Representatives from North Korea’s state-run Korean Catholic Association were invited to attend the Mass, but Pyongyang rejected this offer.

Also at the service were seven elderly women forced to work as prostitutes for Japanese troops during World War Two.

One of the women gave Pope Francis a gold butterfly pin – a symbol of their continuing struggle for justice – which he wore during the Mass.

Pope Francis, who on Saturday beatified 124 Koreans who died for their faith in the 18th and 19th Centuries, later flew out of Seoul.

The pontiff will visit the Philippines and Sri Lanka in January.

En route to Rome, Pope Francis sent a telegram to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a follow-up to a message he had sent when he flew over China to South Korea on Thursday.

“Returning to Rome after my visit to Korea, I wish to renew to your Excellency and your fellow citizens the assurance of my best wishes, as I invoke divine blessings upon your land,” Pope Francis said.

The Vatican and Beijing have no formal ties, but the decision to let Pope Francis fly through Chinese airspace is being seen as a possible sign of warmth.

When Pope John Paul II visited Seoul in 1989, he had to fly through Russian airspace to get to South Korea.

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Cincinnati 2014: Serena Williams wins her first Western & Southern title

Clyde K. Valle
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Cincinnati 2014: Serena Williams wins her first Western & Southern title

Serena Williams has won her first Cincinnati title beating Ana Ivanovic in Western & Southern final on August 17.

Serena Williams, 32, needed only 62 minutes to beat Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-1 on Sunday in the Western & Southern Open for a personal breakthrough.

She’d never even reached the finals in Cincinnati until last year, when she fell apart and lost to Victoria Azarenka on a third-set tiebreaker.

Serena Williams has won her first Cincinnati title beating Ana Ivanovic in Western & Southern final
Serena Williams has won her first Cincinnati title beating Ana Ivanovic in Western & Southern final

After getting broken in the first game, Serena Williams took control with her serve and took advantage of Ana Ivanovic’s sloppy play, improving to 5-0 in finals this year.

Ana Ivanovic was treated for a stomach ailment during her nearly 3-hour win over Maria Sharapova in the semifinals Saturday night. She didn’t have much left against Serena Williams, who dominated with her serve.

Serena Williams had 12 aces.

The only other event that Serena Williams has played six times without a title is Sydney. She finally got her win in Cincinnati with the help of a good matchup.

Serena Williams is 7-1 in her career against Ana Ivanovic, with the only loss coming at the Australian Open this year.

Despite the loss, Ana Ivanovic will move back into the top 10 in the WTA rankings with her strong showing in Cincinnati.

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Michael Brown shooting: Governor Jay Nixon criticizes Ferguson police over surveillance video release

Nancy Clayson
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Michael Brown shooting: Governor Jay Nixon criticizes Ferguson police over surveillance video release

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has criticized Ferguson police for releasing a surveillance video which apparently shows shooting victim Michael Brown stealing from a convenience store.

Jay Nixon said the release of CCTV footage nearly a week after Officer Darren Wilson shot black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, St Louis, “appeared to cast aspersions” on the dead man.

“It made emotions raw,” Jay Nixon told ABC on Sunday.

Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered a federal post-mortem on Michael Brown’s body.

Riot police used tear gas and smoke bombs to disperse protesters overnight as they defied a curfew in Ferguson. The curfew is being extended for a second day, beginning at midnight on August 17 and running for five hours.

The killing of Michael Brown by a white policeman in a street on 9 August has inflamed racial tensions in the largely black suburb.

It caused dismay across the US while images of riot police deployed in an American city suburb have made headlines worldwide.

The video “appeared to cast aspersions on a young man that was gunned down in the street”, said Governor Jay Nixon.

On Saturday, Jay Nixon declared the curfew after looters targeted stores in Ferguson overnight.

Governor Jay Nixon has criticized Ferguson police for releasing a surveillance video which apparently shows shooting victim Michael Brown stealing from a convenience store
Governor Jay Nixon has criticized Ferguson police for releasing a surveillance video which apparently shows shooting victim Michael Brown stealing from a convenience store

Seven arrests were made as police used smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse a crowd of about 150 in Ferguson, after being called to the scene of a disturbance at a restaurant after the curfew started.

A police car reportedly came under fire and a person was hurt in an apparently unrelated shooting in the same area.

As police were nearing the restaurant, a man with a handgun went into the street but ran away, AP news agency reports.

Someone also shot at a police car but it was not clear if it had been hit.

In the same area, a person was shot and critically wounded and police were searching for the attacker.

Demonstrators complained that the curfew would make matters worse.

Jayson Ross, who was leading the protesters toward the police before tear gas was fired, was quoted as saying by AP: “They got guns. We got guns. We are ready.”

Local politician Antonio French, who was with the protesters, tweeted: “Too many young men talking about they’re ready to die tonight.”

The US justice department is investigating the shooting of Michael Brown, with 40 FBI agents dispatched to Ferguson to gather information.

The justice department said on Sunday that Eric Holder had ordered a federal post-mortem examination at the request of Michael Brown’s family, in addition to a Missouri state autopsy.

A preliminary autopsy by the St Louis County Medical Examiner’s office on the day after Michael Brown’s death found he had been shot, police said, without disclosing how many times.

Earlier, the lawyer for Michael Brown’s family, Anthony Gray, announced that it had hired one of America’s most famous forensic pathologists, Michael Baden, to conduct an independent examination.

Michael Baden, 80, has worked on investigations into the deaths of such public figures as President John F. Kennedy, the punk star Sid Vicious and the family of the last Russian emperor, Tsar Nicholas II, according to a profile on Fox News, where he works as a TV host.

Darren Wilson, a six-year police veteran with no previous complaints against him, has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting.

Darren Wilson had reportedly stopped Michael Brown for walking in the street, disrupting traffic.

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Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw celebrate 38th wedding anniversary

Lisa.Felice
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Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw celebrate 38th wedding anniversary

Dr. Phil revealed he and his wife Robin McGraw celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary on August 14.

Phil McGraw, 63, tweeted alongside a photo of himself with his 61-year-old wife: “We make the best team.”

Dr. Phil also posted a video on Instagram, breaking down the momentous occasion.

“Thirty-eight years of marriage,” he wrote.

“Think about it. That’s 13,870 days – 332,880 hours. That’s a lot of smiles.”

In an interview with New You, Robin McGraw has admitted that friends find it strange that she never argues with her husband.

She told the magazine: “People cannot understand when we say we don’t fight.  They go “that’s just not natural, you’re lying! Couples fight.”

Dr. Phil and his wife Robin McGraw celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary on August 14
Dr. Phil and his wife Robin McGraw celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary on August 14 (photo Twitter)

“But we don’t fight and it’s because we had a conversation early on and I told him that it’s not natural for me to be in a house where people are screaming and yelling – my parents didn’t do it, I don’t do it and I don’t want to live in a house like that.  He got it and has never raised his voice around me. We don’t fight.”

Robin McGraw added that she keeps the spark alive by flirting with Dr. Phil.

“Always flirt!” she said.

“A piece of advice I’d tell women:  Learn what your husband considers flirting and learn what makes your husband happy.”

Phil and Robin McGraw have two sons, Jay, 34 and Jordan, 28. Jay McGraw and wife Erica have also given them two grandchildren – a 4-year-old girl named Avery and grandson London, 3.

Despite her growing career and duties as a mother and grandmother, Robin McGraw says that Dr. Phil is her number one priority.

She advises other women looking to balance work and family life to ask their husbands: “<<What can I do for you? Tell me what you need from me, what you need to hear from me, what you need to see me do. I’ll do it>>.”

Robin McGraw also recommends checking in with one’s husband on a regular basis, adding: “Phillip always needs to know I’m proud of him and the loves to hear that I appreciate him.”

Dr. Phil shares tips for a happy marriage in books such as Relationship Rescue and Family First.

Gene Simmons apologizes for depression remarks in the wake of Robin Williams’ death

Lisa.Felice
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Gene Simmons apologizes for depression remarks in the wake of Robin Williams’ death

Gene Simmons has apologized for his recent remarks about people who suffer from depression.

The Kiss singer and bassist sparked outrage after saying he is “the guy who says <<Jump>>” to those who are suicidal.

Gene Simmons said in a Facebook post: “I was wrong and in the spur of the moment made remarks that in hindsight were made without regard for those who truly suffer the struggles of depression.

“I sincerely apologize to those who were offended by my comments.”

The singer continued: “I recognize that depression is very serious and very sad when it happens to anyone, especially loved ones.

“I deeply support and am empathetic to anyone suffering from any disease, especially depression.”

Gene Simmons has apologized for his recent remarks about people who suffer from depression
Gene Simmons has apologized for his recent remarks about people who suffer from depression (photo Getty Images)

Gene Simmons’ apology follows an interview posted on the SongFacts.com, in which the theatrical rocker was quoted as saying he did not understand people who were depressed.

“My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany,” he said.

“I don’t want to hear… about ‘the world as a harsh place’. She gets up every day, smells the roses and loves life.”

Using the example of a hypothetical “putz” who is 20 years old and lives in Seattle and says they are depressed, the outspoken star said his advice would be to “kill yourself”.

Gene Simmons went on: “I never understand, because I always call them on their bluff. I’m the guy who says <<Jump>> when there’s a guy on top of a building who says, <<That’s it, I can’t take it any more, I’m going to jump>>.”

The interview was posted on July 31, before the death of Robin Williams, who took his own life after struggling with depression and the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.

Gene Simmons’ comments have been criticized in the wake of Robin Williams’ death, which has led to calls for a greater public understanding of the condition.

Several radio stations banned Kiss music in the wake of Gene Simmons’ comments, Fox News reported.

Ebola outbreak: Liberia quarantine centre attacked by protesters

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola outbreak: Liberia quarantine centre attacked by protesters

A Liberian quarantine centre for suspected Ebola patients in capital Monrovia has been attacked and looted by protesters, police say.

The incident happened in the densely populated West Point township on Saturday evening.

At least 20 patients who were being monitored for signs of the illness have left the centre.

Officials said blood-stained bedding looted from the centre posed a serious infection risk.

The protesters were unhappy that patients were being brought in from other parts of the capital, the assistant health minister said.

Other reports suggested the protesters believed Ebola was a hoax and wanted to force the quarantine centre to close.

The Liberian quarantine centre for suspected Ebola patients in Monrovia has been attacked and looted by protesters
The Liberian quarantine centre for suspected Ebola patients in Monrovia has been attacked and looted by protesters (photo Reuters)

The quarantine centre was set up to observe suspected Ebola patients and then transfer them to a main treatment centre if they prove positive.

It is not known if those at the centre were infected with the virus, though one report suggested they had proved positive.

A senior police officer said blood-stained mattresses, beddings and medical equipment were taken from the centre.

“This is one of the stupidest things I have ever seen in my life,” he said.

He said the looting spree could threaten to spread the virus to the whole of the West Point area.

Described as a slum, there are an estimated 50,000 people in the West Point neighborhood.

The Ebola epidemic began in Guinea in February and has since spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

On Friday, the death toll rose to 1,145 after the WHO said 76 new deaths had been reported in the two days to August 13. There have been 2,127 cases reported in total.

The attack at the Monrovia centre is seen as a major setback in the struggle to halt the outbreak.

Health experts say that the key to ending the Ebola outbreak is to stop it spreading in Liberia, where ignorance about the virus is high and many people are reluctant to cooperate with medical staff.

Russian aid convoy reaches Ukraine border

Roy Siemens
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Russian aid convoy reaches Ukraine border

Russian convoy trucks carrying aid to eastern Ukraine have reached a border post controlled by rebels.

The trucks seem unlikely to cross into Ukraine immediately as the Red Cross said it had still not received security guarantees for the convoy to continue.

Earlier Ukraine’s military said that separatists had shot down a government fighter jet near the rebel-held city of Luhansk in the east of the country.

A military spokesman said the pilot had ejected and was safe.

More than 2,000 civilians and combatants have been killed since mid-April, when Ukraine’s government sent troops to put down an uprising by pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

It faced a new challenge on Sunday as the leader of the ultra-nationalist Right Sector threatened to withdraw volunteers fighting on the government side.

Dmytro Yarosh said Right Sector would launch a “campaign in Kiev” if its demands, including the release of detained members, were not met within 48 hours.

Russian convoy trucks carrying aid to eastern Ukraine have reached a border post controlled by rebels
Russian convoy trucks carrying aid to eastern Ukraine have reached a border post controlled by rebels

He called on President Petro Poroshenko to “immediately bring order” to the Interior Ministry, which he accused of harboring “revanchist forces”.

The government plane had been shot down after launching an attack “to eliminate a large group of rebels”, Ukrainian military spokesman Leonid Matyukhin said, quoted by AFP news agency.

The pilot ejected from the aircraft safely and rescuers delivered him to a safe location, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile some 16 vehicles from the 280-lorry Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for eastern Ukraine were seen arriving at the border.

The Red Cross, quoted by Reuters news agency, said Ukrainian and Russian customs officials had agreed to inspect the lorries.

The Izvaryne crossing where the vehicles have arrived is controlled by rebels, so it is not clear how Ukrainian officials will reach them.

Kiev has insisted that any aid sent to eastern Ukraine from Russia should cross a government-controlled part of the border.

Also, Ukraine’s Security Council tweeted that its border guards had not received any paperwork for the cargo.

The convoy has been parked near the town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky for several days after setting out from near Moscow on Tuesday, said to be carrying 2,000 tonnes of aid.

Russian officials quoted by Russia’s Ria news agency said that lorries were being sent out in small groups to avoid causing traffic jams, but there were no plans for any of them to cross the border on Sunday.

The Ukrainian government said late on Saturday that it had declared the convoy “legal”, but Red Cross officials speaking at the time said it had still not been given clearance because of some outstanding security issues.

There had been fears expressed by Ukraine and by Western governments that the convoy could be carrying arms for the rebels or could be used as a pretext by Russia for military action.

Russia has denied any military involvement with the convoy.

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Lauren Dorsett husband: ABC 27 anchor is married to Haverty’s Furniture Sales Manager Jay Dorsett

Lisa.Felice
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Lauren Dorsett husband: ABC 27 anchor is married to Haverty’s Furniture Sales Manager Jay Dorsett

Lauren Dorsett is ABC 27 anchor and health reporter, covering issues concerning local Tallahassee, Florida, citizens in addition to anchoring ABC 27 News at Noon and News at Five on weekdays.

Lauren Phinney-Dorsett is married to Jay Dorsett, a sales manager at Haverty’s Furniture in Tallahassee.

She grew up in Simi Valley, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. Not ready to leave the west coast, she stayed and attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Television Production with an emphasis in Journalism. It was at LMU that she got her start anchoring the university news magazine show, Access LMU.

Lauren Phinney-Dorsett is married to Jay Dorsett, a sales manager at Haverty’s Furniture in Tallahassee
Lauren Phinney-Dorsett is married to Jay Dorsett, a sales manager at Haverty’s Furniture in Tallahassee

Eager for more experience, Lauren Dorsett left Los Angeles to become a reporter for KCFW in Kalispell, Montana.

Her experience there landed her an anchor/producer position for Montana Today at KECI in Missoula, Montana, where she received the E.B. Craney Award for the state’s top female broadcaster in 2005.

Later that year she joined ABC 27 as an anchor/reporter for News at 6 and News at 11 shows.

One of ABC 27’s commitments is to enable our communities to prosper by providing them with news, information, and services that impact their lives.

Lauren Dorsett is contributing to that mission through her health segments. She has been active in the Tallahassee community by participating as the emcee for the Heart Walk 2005 and events hosted by the local divisions of the American Heart Association.

Lauren Dorsett and her husband Jay currently live in Tallahassee and enjoy fishing.

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Beyonce posts kart racing pictures with Jay-Z and Blue Ivy amid divorce rumors

Lisa.Felice
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Beyonce posts kart racing pictures with Jay-Z and Blue Ivy amid divorce rumors

Beyonce posted new pictures of herself, husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy at a kart racing facility on her official site amid divorce rumors on August 15.

Beyonce, 32, posed holding her race helmet and getting behind the wheel. She showed off her toned abs in pink short shorts and a matching top, and at one point donned a canary yellow piece of clothing to cover her face.

Beyonce posted new pictures of herself, husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy at a kart racing facility
Beyonce posted new pictures of herself, husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy at a kart racing facility (photo Beyonce/Tumblr)

In another snapshot, Jay-Z, 44, held hands with 2-year-old Blue Ivy as they walked around the indoor racetrack. Blue Ivy wore a white dress and accessorized with pink sandals.

However, Beyonce and Jay-Z’s relationship behind closed doors is quite different than their recent friendly outing.

Last month, Us Weekly reported that Beyonce “is done” with the six-year marriage once they finish their remaining On the Run shows in Paris, France.

Beyonce and Jay-Z reportedly “stayed separately” while in New York and L.A. and she has even been spotted scouting out apartments in Manhattan.

When is Chelsea Clinton baby due?

Lisa.Felice
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When is Chelsea Clinton baby due?

Former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton announced that she and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, are expecting their first child during a Clinton Foundation event devoted to empowering young women at New York’s Lower East Side Girls Club on April 17.

Chelsea Clinton, 34, told guests at the event: “Marc and I are very excited that we have our first child arriving later this year.”

“I certainly feel all the better whether it’s a girl or a boy that she or he will grow up in world filled with so many strong, young female leaders,” she added.

Chelsea Clinton’s due date would be roughly late October to early November
Chelsea Clinton’s due date would be roughly late October to early November (photo Getty Images)

“I just hope that I will be as good a mom to my child and hopefully children as my mom was to me.”

It appears that Chelsea Clinton’s pregnancy is going along quite smoothly, and by the looks of her giant bump she must be due in the very early part of fall 2014.

Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky, who currently live in New York City, have yet to tell the public what the sex of the baby is, but we know they will be happy with whatever they are gifted with.

Now seven-month pregnant, Chelsea Clinton’s due date would be roughly late October to early November.

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Al Gore sues Al Jazeera America over Current TV sale

Clyde K. Valle
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Al Gore sues Al Jazeera America over Current TV sale

Al Gore is suing Al Jazeera America over the sale of Current TV, a network he founded.

The former Democrat vice president and his partners agreed to sell Current TV to the Qatari-owned broadcaster last year.

Al Gore and other former shareholders in the company claim Al Jazeera America is trying to retain $65 million of the purchase money.

They have filed a lawsuit claiming the terms of the contract have not been honored.

Al Gore is suing Al Jazeera America over the sale of Current TV
Al Gore is suing Al Jazeera America over the sale of Current TV

Al Gore’s lawyer, David Boies, said in a statement: “Al Jazeera America wants to give itself a discount on the purchase price that was agreed to nearly two years ago.”

Al Jazeera bought Current TV in August 2013 from a group of shareholders including the channel’s former chief executive, Joel Hyatt. Other investors included Comcast, and the supermarket magnate, Ron Burkle, as well as Al Gore.

It is Joel Hyatt and Al Gore who are alleging fraud and breach of contract over the sale, lodging their suit at a Delaware court.

They say a portion of the sale price was placed by Al Jazeera into an account to be paid to them this year, but that the money has been withheld.

A summary of the case, released by Al Gore’s lawyer, stated that Al Jazeera America is “in express violation of the merger agreement”.

Current TV was originally designed as a progressive channel to counter conservative-leaning broadcasters such as Fox News.

Al Jazeera America has not commented on the lawsuit.

Ferguson curfew: At least 150 protesters refuse to disperse before midnight deadline

Nancy Clayson
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Ferguson curfew: At least 150 protesters refuse to disperse before midnight deadline

More than 150 people broke the overnight curfew imposed in Ferguson, the St Louis suburb where black teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by police last week.

The protesters refused to disperse before a midnight deadline. Police fired smoke bombs at them.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has imposed the curfew until 05:00 AM.

The move comes after a week of violent clashes between heavily armed local police and protesters.

Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead on a street in Ferguson on August 9.

Hundreds of protesters gathered on the main road in Ferguson in poor weather conditions hours before the curfew was due to go into force on Saturday evening.

Many left peacefully but others shouted that they would not abide by the curfew.

Police warned the remaining demonstrators that they would be arrested unless they left the area.

More than 150 people broke the overnight curfew imposed in Ferguson
More than 150 people broke the overnight curfew imposed in Ferguson

They then fired smoke bombs, after which the protesters appeared to leave.

“The curfew is going to make things worse,” protester Phonso Scott, 24, told Reuters news agency.

“I think the cops are going to get violent tonight, but they can’t lock us all up.”

Governor Jay Nixon said that although many protesters were making themselves heard peacefully, he would not allow a handful of looters to endanger the community.

“We must first have and maintain peace. This is a test. The eyes of the world are watching,” Jay Nixon said.

“We cannot allow the ill will of the few to undermine the good will of the many.”

He also said the Department of Justice was bolstering its investigation of the shooting.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, who is in charge of security in Ferguson, said 40 FBI agents were going door-to-door to gather information about the incident.

Ron Johnson gave a joint news conference with Governor Jay Nixon on Saturday afternoon at a church in Ferguson, where they were repeatedly interrupted by angry locals.

The latest tensions flared on Friday night after Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson revealed Officer Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown.

Police also released CCTV footage that it said showed Michael Brown stealing a pack of cigars from a convenience store and intimidating its owner shortly before he was killed.

However, Thomas Jackson said Michael Brown was not stopped because of the incident and that the officer who shot him did not know he was a robbery suspect.

Michael Brown’s family said they were “beyond outraged” by the video’s release, criticizing what they said was a police attempt to “justify the execution-style murder”.

Civil rights leader Al Sharpton says a peaceful rally, led by Michael Brown’s family, is planned for Sunday.

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Rick Perry indictment: Texas governor vows to fight charges of abuse of power

Diane A. Wade
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Rick Perry indictment: Texas governor vows to fight charges of abuse of power

Texas Governor Rick Perry has vowed to fight an indictment against him for abuse of power, which he dismissed as a “farce”.

The indictment “amounts to nothing more than an abuse of power… I cannot and will not allow that to happen,” Rick Perry said.

Rick Perry, 63, faces two counts of abuse of power and coercion over a funding veto he imposed last year, seen as a bid to force a local prosecutor to resign.

The possible Republican presidential hopeful has denied any wrong-doing.

A grand jury indicted Governor Rick Perry on Friday after months of investigation into his motivations for cutting funds amounting to $7.5 million to a state anti-corruption unit run by District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg.

Special prosecutor Michael McCrum said there was evidence Governor Rick Perry had threatened to withhold funding unless Rosemary Lehmberg, a Democrat, resigned over DUI charges.

Rick Perry dismissed the indictment against him as a farce
Rick Perry dismissed the indictment against him as a farce (photo rickperry.org)

The indictment said Governor Rick Perry “intentionally or knowingly misused government property…with intent to harm another” namely, Rosemary Lehmberg and the Public Integrity Unit of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.

Rick Perry defended his decision on Saturday, saying he had “exercised this authority to veto funding for an office whose leadership had lost the public’s confidence by acting inappropriately and unethically”.

“I wholeheartedly and unequivocally stand behind my veto, and I’ll continue to defend this lawful action of my executive authority as governor.

“I intend to fight against those who would erode our state’s constitution and laws, purely for political purposes, and I intend to win,” Rick Perry told reporters.

Rick Perry is the longest-serving governor in the state’s history and Texas’s first indicted governor in nearly a century.

Prosecutor Michael McCrum called up numerous witnesses to argue his case that the governor had broken the law.

The Texans for Public Justice, which filed a complaint in the case, said “the grand jury decided Perry’s bullying crossed the line into law breaking”.

Abuse of office can carry punishments of between five to 99 years in prison, while coercion of a public servant carries sentences ranging from two to 10 years.

His recent movements between key Republican battleground states is seen by analysts as laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run in 2016.

Rick Perry announced that he would retire from the Texas governor’s office instead of seeking a fourth term in July 2013.

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Ferguson curfew: Jay Nixon declares state of emergency over St Louis rioting

Nancy Clayson
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Ferguson curfew: Jay Nixon declares state of emergency over St Louis rioting

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency in Ferguson, the St Louis suburb where black teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by police last week.

Jay Nixon also said a curfew would run from midnight local time until 05:00 AM in Ferguson.

The move comes after a week of violent clashes between heavily armed local police and protesters.

Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead on a street in Ferguson on August 9.

Governor Jay Nixon said that although many protesters were making themselves heard peacefully, he would not allow a handful of looters to endanger the community.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency in Ferguson, the St Louis suburb where black teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by police
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency in Ferguson, the St Louis suburb where black teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by police

“We must first have and maintain peace. This is a test. The eyes of the world are watching,” he said.

“We cannot allow the ill will of the few to undermine the good will of the many.”

Jay Nixon also said the Department of Justice was bolstering its investigation of the shooting.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, who is in charge of security in Ferguson, said 40 FBI agents were going door-to-door to gather information about the incident.

Ron Johnson gave a joint press conference with Governor Nixon at a church in Ferguson, where they were repeatedly interrupted by angry locals.

On Friday, police released CCTV footage that it said showed Michael Brown stealing from a convenience store and intimidating its owner.

Michael Brown’s family said they were “beyond outraged” by the video, criticizing what they said was a police attempt to “justify the execution-style murder”.

Police later said that the officer who shot Michael Brown did not know he was a robbery suspect.

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Ebola outbreak: Kenya closes borders to travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea

Kathryn R. Bown
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Ebola outbreak: Kenya closes borders to travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea

Kenya is closing its borders to travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in response to the deadly Ebola outbreak.

The health secretary said Kenyans and medical workers flying in from those states would still be allowed in.

Kenyan Airways says it will stop flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone when the ban comes in on Wednesday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says Kenya is at “high risk” from Ebola because it is a major transport hub.

The epidemic began in Guinea in February and has since spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

On Friday, the death toll rose to 1,145 after the WHO said 76 new deaths had been reported in the two days to August 13. There have been 2,127 cases reported in total.

Earlier, Kenya’s health ministry said four suspected cases of Ebola in the country had tested negative for the virus.

The cases had involved a Liberian national and two Nigerians who had recently travelled to Kenya as well as a Zimbabwean.

Kenya is closing its borders to travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in response to the deadly Ebola outbreak
Kenya is closing its borders to travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in response to the deadly Ebola outbreak

Kenya Airways said it had decided to cancel flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone’s capitals after advice from Kenya’s government.

It said all passengers booked on the suspended flights would get a full refund.

Kenya Airways said its flights to Nigeria were not affected by the suspension.

Announcing the government’s decision, Kenyan Health Minister James Macharia said it was “in the interest of public health”.

James Macharia warned that Kenyans and health workers who had returned from the three west African states would face “strict checks” and would be quarantined if necessary.

On Friday, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said the Ebola outbreak would take at least six months to bring under control.

MSF President Joanne Liu said the situation was “deteriorating faster, and moving faster, than we can respond to”.

The WHO also admitted that the scale of the outbreak appeared to be “vastly underestimated” and said “extraordinary measures” were needed to contain it.

The Ebola disease is transmitted by direct contact with the body fluids of a person who is infected.

Initial flu-like symptoms can lead to external hemorrhaging from areas such as eyes and gums, and internal bleeding which can lead to organ failure.

The WHO says the risk of transmission of Ebola during air travel remains low.

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Cliff Richard assault: Information provided after UK property search

Lisa.Felice
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Cliff Richard assault: Information provided after UK property search

A number of people have provided information after Cliff Richard’s UK property was searched in relation to an alleged historical s** offence, police say.

South Yorkshire Police, which carried out the search in Sunningdale on August 14, did not say what this information related to.

Police said the allegation involved a boy under 16.

Cliff Richard, 73, has said the allegation is “completely false”.

In a statement issued on August 14, the singer said: “For many months I have been aware of allegations against me of historic impropriety which have been circulating online.

Cliff Richard allegedly assaulted a boy under 16 in 1985
Cliff Richard allegedly assaulted a boy under 16 in 1985 (photo Getty Images)

“The allegations are completely false. Up until now I have chosen not to dignify the false allegations with a response, as it would just give them more oxygen.”

Cliff Richard said he would “co-operate fully” if the police wanted to speak to him.

It appears the allegation relates to an alleged assault at an event featuring preacher Billy Graham at Bramall Lane in Sheffield in 1985.

In a statement, South Yorkshire Police (SYP) said it had not alerted the media to the search in advance.

It said: “When a media outlet contacted SYP with information about an investigation, we took the decision to work with them in order to protect the integrity of that investigation.

“Since the search took place, a number of people have contacted the police to provide information and we must acknowledge that the media played a part in that, for which we are grateful.”

In his statement, Cliff Richard said the police had searched his home “without notice, except it would appear to the press”.

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Brazil elections 2014: Marina Silva to replace late presidential candidate Eduardo Campos

Diane A. Wade
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Brazil elections 2014: Marina Silva to replace late presidential candidate Eduardo Campos

Marina Silva, Brazil’s ex-environment minister, would replace former presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, who was killed in a plane crash on August 13.

Marina Silva is expected to be named in the next few days to run for president in October.

She agreed to run, but the decision still needs to be officially approved by Eduardo Campos’s Socialist Party (PSB).

The Socialists – the major partner in the opposition coalition established to run against President Dilma Rousseff – are expected to announce their decision after a meeting on August 20.

Marina Silva had decided to run for vice-president alongside Eduardo Campos after the Electoral Court in October 2013 refused to register her political movement, Rede Sustentabilidade (The Sustainability Network).

She fell out with the Workers’ Party government and left office to run against Dilma Rousseff in 2010.

An environmentalist and devout evangelical, Marina Silva polled surprisingly well, coming third with nearly 20% of the vote.

Marina Silva is expected to replace late Eduardo Campos to run for Brazil’s president in October
Marina Silva is expected to replace late Eduardo Campos to run for Brazil’s president in October

Dilma Rousseff, who is running for re-election in October, is the front-runner. On Sunday, the first opinion polls showing Marina Silva as candidate will be published in Brazil.

The first round of the presidential election will take place on 5 October and will go to a second round later that month if no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes.

The other main candidate is Aecio Neves, a current senator who will represent the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB).

Marina Silva is seen as a strong opponent and one who may win over even more support than Eduardo Campos would have.

She avoided addressing the issue as she travelled to Eduardo Campos’s funeral.

“I have a sense of responsibility and commitment,” she told journalists as she arrived in the north-eastern city of Recife.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather in the streets of the city on Sunday to pay their last respects to the popular politician.

Eduardo Campos came from a traditional family of politicians and was governor of Pernambuco for seven years, leaving office earlier this year with high approval rates.

His private jet – a Cessna 560XL – crashed in bad weather in the port city of Santos, in Sao Paulo state. It was travelling from Rio de Janeiro.

An investigation into the causes of the crash, which killed Eduardo Campos, 49, and six others, is under way.

The black box recovered from the wreckage of the plane did not record his flight, Brazilian Air Force (FAB) said.

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Germany spied on John Kerry and Hillary Clinton

Diane A. Wade
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Germany spied on John Kerry and Hillary Clinton

Germany recorded calls of US Secretary of State John Kerry and his predecessor Hillary Clinton, German media reports say.

According to Der Spiegel magazine, the calls were collected accidentally and the recordings were destroyed immediately.

John Kerry has reportedly spoken to his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, about the claims.

Correspondents say the reports will embarrass Germany after a row about the US spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Germany recorded calls of Secretary of State John Kerry and his predecessor Hillary Clinton
Germany recorded calls of Secretary of State John Kerry and his predecessor Hillary Clinton

Der Spiegel said the German intelligence agency had tapped a satellite phone call John Kerry made in 2013.

Reports in German daily newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung and public broadcasters NDR and WDR said documents passed to the CIA show German spies had also eavesdropped on Hillary Clinton when she was US Secretary of State.

German government sources told the newspaper and two broadcasters, that they intercepted the call by chance, and she had not been deliberately targeted. They also said it happened just once.

However, media reports said it had not been an isolated case.

A spokesman for the US embassy in Berlin declined to comment on the reports.

If confirmed the revelations could prove difficult for Germany. Relations with the United States have deteriorated amid allegations of American spying on Germany.

The head of the CIA in Germany was expelled last month, after it emerged the agency had tapped Chancellor Merkel’s mobile phone.

Eduardo Campos plane crash: Black box did not record Brazilian presidential candidate’s flight

Diane A. Wade
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Eduardo Campos plane crash: Black box did not record Brazilian presidential candidate’s flight

According to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the black box recovered from the wreckage of the plane crash that killed Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos did not record his flight.

It said the audio recording FAB experts had analyzed was not related to the flight that crashed on Wednesday.

A spokesman said they were trying to determine what the recording was.

Eduardo Campos, 49, and six others died when his private jet crashed in bad weather in the port city of Santos near Sao Paulo.

Experts from the Centre of Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, have been trying to reconstruct the audio files from the black box in search for more clues as to what happened in the lead up to the accident.

The Brazilian Air Force says the black box recovered from the wreckage of the plane crash that killed Eduardo Campos did not record his flight
The Brazilian Air Force says the black box recovered from the wreckage of the plane crash that killed Eduardo Campos did not record his flight

“The two hours of audio, the maximum recording capacity of the equipment, which were received and validated by certified technicians, were not of the flight of August 13,” air force spokesman Pedro Luis Farcic said in a statement.

“It is not yet possible to determine the date of the dialogue recorded in the CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder), given that this equipment does not record this information,” he continued, adding that an investigation would determine what may have happened.

Shortly after the accident, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff declared three days of mourning and halted all her re-election campaign activities for October’s presidential poll.

Eduardo Campos, of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), had been running third in opinion polls.

It is not yet clear who will replace him as presidential candidate for the PSB.

The PSB has said it will meet on August 20.

Analysts say his running mate, 56-year-old Marina Silva, a popular politician and a former environment minister, could step in.

Under Brazilian law, the party has 10 days to choose a substitute.

It could also decide not to run and throw its support behind another candidate.

Eduardo Campos, a former governor of the north-eastern state of Pernambuco, was on his way from Rio de Janeiro to the city of Guaruja, near Santos, when the Cessna 560XL he was travelling in went down into a residential area, killing everyone on board.

Officials have blamed the crash on bad weather, but a federal investigation on the cause remains underway.

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