At least 18 die and 50 are injured in a stampede at an Ismaili Shias leader’s funeral in Mumbai.
Local officials say the incident happened when thousands of mourners gathered at the home of Muslim spiritual leader Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin who died on Friday.
Reports suggest people were crushed after the gates of the house where the body of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin were kept were closed.
Thousands of mourners gathered at the home of Muslim spiritual leader Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin who died on Friday
The leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community died aged 102.
The deceased leader’s funeral is expected later on Saturday.
Hundreds of people across India have died in similar tragedies in recent years.
Former Pope Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests in only two years over claims of child abuse, the Vatican has confirmed.
The statistics for 2011 and 2012 show a dramatic increase compared with previous years, according to a document obtained by the AP.
The file was part of Vatican data collected for a UN hearing on Thursday.
It was the first time the Holy See was publicly confronted over the abuse of children by clergy.
Church officials at the hearing in Geneva faced a barrage of hard questions covering why they were withholding data and what they were doing to prevent future abuse.
Victims’ advocates complained there was still too little transparency.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi initially said the AP report had been based on a mistaken reading of data.
But he later retracted his statement.
Former Pope Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests in only two years over claims of child abuse
The latest statistics reveal the number of priests defrocked in 2011 and 2012 was more than double the 171 priests removed in 2008 and 2009, when the Vatican first provided figures.
The Vatican also sent another 400 cases to either be tried by a Church tribunal or to be dealt with administratively, AP reports.
Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected in 2005, took the helm as the scandal of child abuse by priests was breaking.
The flood of allegations, lawsuits and official reports into clerical abuse reached a peak in 2009 and 2010, which observers say may explain the spike shown in the document.
The Holy See is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a legally binding instrument which commits it to protecting and nurturing the most vulnerable in society.
It ratified the convention in 1990 but after an implementation report in 1994 it did not submit any progress reports until 2012, following revelations of child abuse in Europe and beyond.
Last month, the Vatican refused a request from the UN’s Committee on the Rights of the Child for data on abuse, on the grounds that it only released such information if requested to do so by another country as part of legal proceedings.
In a homily on Thursday, Pope Francis called abuse scandals “the shame of the Church”.
Pope Francis announced in December that a Vatican committee would be set up to fight abuse of children in the Church.
Shashi Tharoor – the Indian minister of state for human resource development whose wife Sunnada Pushkar was found dead on Friday – has been taken to hospital with chest pain.
Shashi Tharoor, 57, had been admitted in the morning and was now stable, a Delhi hospital spokesman said.
The ministere is being treated at the same hospital where his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s post-mortem examination is to be carried out in a few hours.
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in a Delhi hotel, following reports that Shashi Tharoor was having an affair.
Police have already questioned a number of hotel staff as they continue their investigation.
The couple became embroiled in controversy over a series of Twitter messages on Wednesday that appeared to reveal Shashi Tharoor was having an affair with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tahrar.
Shashi Tharoor is being treated at the same hospital where his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s post-mortem examination is to be carried out in a few hours
They later insisted they were happily married, blaming “unauthorized tweets”.
Shashi Tharoor married Sunanda Pushkar, a former Dubai-based businesswoman, in 2010.
On Wednesday, messages began to appear on Shashi Tharoor’s Twitter account suggesting he was having an affair with journalist Mehr Tahrar.
Sunanda Pushkar admitted publishing the tweets, but later denied it.
She was found dead in the five-star hotel in Delhi, according to police sources.
Reports said that her husband had informed the police of her death. It was unclear how she died.
Mehr Tahrar, who denied having an affair with the minister, tweeted after she heard of Sunanda Pushkar’s death: “I’m absolutely shocked.
“This is too awful for words. So tragic I don’t know what to say. Rest in peace, Sunanda.”
Shashi Tharoor, a former UN diplomat, was forced to resign from his first ministerial position in 2010 amid controversy over his involvement in bidding for a cricket team.
Sunanda Pushkar had allegedly received a free stake in the Indian Premier League franchise he was bidding for.
Shashi Tharoor was appointed minister of state for human resource development in 2012.
Closer magazine first published details of President Francois Hollande’s affair with actress Julie Gayet last Friday.
Francois Hollande’s partners:
1988: Francois Hollande meets journalist Valerie Trierweiler. He was a Socialist Party MP with a steady partner, Segolene Royal
Family years: Valerie Trierweiler raises three children with second husband, while Francois Hollande raises four with his unmarried partner, Segolene Royal
Francois Hollande’s partners, Segolene Royal, Valerie Trierweiler and Julie Gayet
November 2007: Valerie Trierweiler announces she is Francois Hollande’s new partner, six months after he leaves Segolen Royal, who has just been defeated as the Socialist presidential candidate
Early 2012: Francois Hollande allegedly begins affair with actress Julie Gayet, who has two children from her first marriage to Santiago Amigorena
May 2012: Valerie Trierweiler, still officially Francois Hollande’s unmarried partner, becomes first lady of France after his victory in the presidential election
June 2013: Valerie Trierweiler wins damages of 10,000 euros ($13,675) from authors of The Troublemaker, a book that made allegations about her private life before Francois Hollande’s election
January 2014: Valerie Trierweiler is admitted to hospital after Closer publishes a report on Francois Hollande’s alleged affair with Julie Gayet, accompanied by photos.[youtube IM2ZslAue_Q 650]
Gravity won a record seven prizes at the 19th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The awards are a likely indicator of Oscar success and have predicted many of the winners in recent years.
Gravity was named best sci-fi film, while Alfonso Cuaron won best director and Sandra Bullock took best actress in an action movie.
However, 12 Years a Slave collected the coveted best picture prize.
Determined by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the best picture winner has gone on to win the best picture Oscar in six of the past seven years.
The ceremony saw Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett win the top acting awards for their performances in Dallas Buyers Club and Blue Jasmine.
Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett also both won Golden Globes for their roles at the weekend.
Jared Leto dedicated his award to all the people around the world who are living with HIV
The actor thanked the late Ron Woodroof, whom he portrayed on screen, saying he had “a life that was damned well worth putting to the big screen”.
12 Years a Slave star Lupita Nyong’o was named best supporting actress, while Matthew McConaughey’s co-star Jared Leto picked up best supporting actor.
Jared Leto dedicated his award to “all the people around the world who are living with HIV [and] all the people who have lost their lives to this horrific disease”.
American Hustle – which received 10 Oscar nominations – collected four awards in total, including best comedy film, acting ensemble, hair and make-up and best actress in a comedy for Amy Adams.
Leonardo DiCaprio followed up his Golden Globe win another best actor in a comedy prize for The Wolf of Wall Street.
Mark Wahlberg picked up best actor in an action film for war film Lone Survivor, which also collected best action film.
French film Blue is the Warmest Colour, which was snubbed by the Oscars, won the best foreign language film award, with its star Adele Exarchopoulos named best young actress.
President Barack Obama has announced he has ordered curbs on the use of bulk data collected by all US intelligence agencies, saying civil liberties must be respected.
Barack Obama said such data had prevented terror attacks at home and abroad, but that in tackling threats the government risked over-reaching itself.
However, civil liberties groups have said the changes do not go far enough.
The announcement follows global anger after details of the work of the National Security Agency were leaked.
Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked the information, is wanted in the US for espionage and is now living in exile in Russia.
The leaked documents revealed that the US collects massive amounts of electronic data from communications of private individuals around the world, and that it has spied on foreign leaders.
The latest revelations claim that US agencies have collected and stored almost 200 million text messages every day across the globe.
In his much-anticipated speech at the Department of Justice, Barack Obama said he would not apologize for the effectiveness of US intelligence operations, and insisted that nothing he had seen indicated they had sought to break the law.
It was necessary for the US to continue collecting large amounts of data, he said, but acknowledged that doing so allowed for “the potential of abuse”.
President Barack Obama has ordered curbs on the use of bulk data collected by all US intelligence agencies
“The reforms I’m proposing today should give the American people greater confidence that their rights are being protected, even as our intelligence and law enforcement agencies maintain the tools they need to keep us safe,” he said.
Details of the times, numbers and durations of phone calls – known as metadata – are currently collected and held by the NSA. However, Barack Obama said he was ending that system “as it currently exists”.
He has asked the attorney general and the intelligence community to draw up plans for such metadata to be held by a third party, with the NSA required to seek legal permission before it could access them.
A panel of independent privacy advocates would also sit on the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) which has responsibility for giving permission for mass surveillance programmes.
Barack Obama also offered assurances to non-Americans, saying people around the world “should know that the United States is not spying on ordinary people who don’t threaten our national security”.
“This applies to foreign leaders as well,” he said, promising that from now on the US “will not monitor the communications of heads of state and government of our close friends and allies”.
That announcement follows revelations that the US had spied on friendly foreign leaders, including the personal mobile of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Barack Obama was also critical of nations he said “feign surprise” over the leaks but “privately acknowledge that America has special responsibilities as the world’s only superpower” and have used the information gathered for their own purposes.
The president said he would not “dwell on Mr. Snowden’s actions or his motivations”, but warned that the “sensational way” the NSA details had come to light had potentially jeopardized US operations “for years to come”.
Civil liberties groups see Edward Snowden as a hero for exposing what they see as official intrusions into private lives, but many Americans believe he has endangered American lives.
Indian minister Shashi Tharoor’s wife, Sunanda Pushkar, has been found dead, following reports that he was having an affair with journalist Mehr Tahrar.
Sunanda Pushkar is reported to have been discovered at a hotel in Delhi.
Shashi Tharoor and Sunanda Pushkar became embroiled in controversy over a series of Twitter messages on Wednesday that appeared to reveal he was having an affair with a Pakistani journalist.
They later insisted they were happily married, blaming “unauthorised tweets”.
Shashi Tharoor married Sunanda Pushkar, a former Dubai-based businesswoman, in 2010.
A public row between the couple erupted on Wednesday when messages began to appear on Shashi Tharoor’s Twitter account suggesting he was having an affair with journalist Mehr Tahrar.
Shashi Tharoor and Sunanda Pushkar became embroiled in controversy over a series of Twitter messages that appeared to reveal he was having an affair
Sunanda Pushkar admitted publishing the tweets, but later denied it.
She was found dead in a five-star hotel in Delhi, according to police sources.
Reports said that Shashi Tharoor had informed the police of her death. It was unclear how she died.
Mehr Tahrar, who denied having an affair with the minister, tweeted after she heard of Sunanda Pushkar’s death: “I’m absolutely shocked.
“This is too awful for words. So tragic I don’t know what to say. Rest in peace, Sunanda.”
Shashi Tharoor, a former UN diplomat, was forced to resign from his first ministerial position in 2010 amid controversy over his involvement in bidding for a cricket team.
Sunanda Pushkar had allegedly received a free stake in the Indian Premier League franchise he was bidding for.
Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese soldier who refused to surrender after WWII ended and spent 29 years in the jungle, has died at the age 91 in Tokyo.
Hiroo Onoda remained in the jungle on Lubang Island near Luzon, in the Philippines, until 1974 because he did not believe that the war had ended.
He was finally persuaded to emerge after his ageing former commanding officer was flown in to see him.
Correspondents say he was greeted as a hero on his return to Japan.
As WWII neared its end, Hiroo Onoda, then a lieutenant, became cut off on Lubang as US troops came north.
The young soldier had orders not to surrender – a command he obeyed for nearly three decades.
“Every Japanese soldier was prepared for death, but as an intelligence officer I was ordered to conduct guerrilla warfare and not to die,” he told ABC in an interview in 2010.
“I became an officer and I received an order. If I could not carry it out, I would feel shame. I am very competitive,” he added.
Hiroo Onoda refused to surrender after WWII ended and spent 29 years in the jungle
While on Lubang Island, Hiroo Onoda surveyed military facilities and engaged in sporadic clashes with local residents.
Three other soldiers were with him at the end of the war. One emerged from the jungle in 1950 and the other two died, one in a 1972 clash with local troops.
Hiroo Onoda ignored several attempts to get him to surrender.
He later said that he dismissed search parties sent to him, and leaflets dropped by Japan, as ploys.
“The leaflets they dropped were filled with mistakes so I judged it was a plot by the Americans,” he told ABC.
Finally in March 1974 his former commanding officer travelled to the Philippines to rescind his original orders in person.
Hiroo Onoda saluted the Japanese flag and handed over his Samurai sword while still wearing a tattered army uniform.
The Philippine government granted him a pardon, although many in Lubang never forgave him for the 30 people he killed during his campaign on the island.
Following his surrender, Hiroo Onoda ran a ranch in Brazil, and opened a series of survival training schools in Japan.
Hiroo Onoda was one of the last Japanese soldiers to surrender at the end of World War II.
France’s President Francois Hollande has visited First Lady Valerie Trierweiler in hospital for the first time since reports of his alleged affair with actress Julie Gayet broke last week.
Valerie Trierweiler was admitted to hospital, apparently in shock after learning of the reports.
Closer magazine first published details of Francois Hollande’s link with Julie Gayet last Friday.
The gossip magazine has further alleged that the affair began during the 2012 presidential race.
Julie Gayet, 41, says she is suing Closer magazine for breach of privacy, seeking 50,000 euros ($68,000) in damages and 4,000 euros in legal costs.
Francois Hollande visited his partner in hospital for the first time on Thursday evening, the Elysee Palace confirmed on Friday, without giving further details.
Valerie Trierweiler, 48, was admitted to hospital last Friday – hours after the first revelations made by Closer magazine.
President Francois Hollande has visited First Lady Valerie Trierweiler in hospital for the first time since reports of his alleged affair
In an apparent defense of Francois Hollande’s character, Valerie Trierweiler reportedly spoke to a radio journalist earlier on Thursday to explain that he had been told to stay away from the hospital by doctors.
The journalist said she was told Francois Hollande had sent flowers and chocolates and had met the team that is looking after Valerie Trierweiler.
Valerie Trierweiler said she was “very tired to the point of not being able to stand up”, and had been suffering from low blood pressure and low morale but was determined to leave hospital with her head held high.
In response to the reports, a source at the Elysee Palace said Francois Hollande was “not unhappy” about the hospital forbidding him to visit.
French media have claimed that Valerie Trierweiler suffered an anxiety attack last week, but her friends have played down her condition.
Le Point magazine quoted a friend of Valerie Trierweiler as saying she had taken “one pill too many”, but had not tried to commit suicide.
At his annual news conference on Tuesday at the Elysee to discuss his political agenda, Francois Hollande was asked questions about the alleged affair.
Francois Hollande, 59, said he was experiencing a “difficult moment” in his private life but refused to answer questions over the report in Closer, saying “private matters should be dealt with privately”.
Nor would he clarify whether Valerie Trierweiler was still first lady before a February trip to the US.
Closer magazine has revealed today that French President François Hollande’s relationship with actress Julie Gayet goes back for over two years.
The gossip magazine, which revealed the affair a week ago, said that Julie Gayet, now 41, had been introduced to Francois Hollande by his former partner Ségolène Royal in 2011 when he was a front-running presidential candidate.
Their romantic affair can be traced back at least 12 months to December 2012, Closer said, but their relationship was already “intimate” during the presidential campaign in the spring of that year.
While currently linked to Francois Hollande, Julie Gayet was previously romanced by a different leading man. Julie Gayet was reportedly married to screenwriter, film producer, director and actor Santiago Amigorena in 2003.
Santiago Amigorena is best known for his work directing the war thriller A Few Days in September and was also awarded by the Warsaw International Film Festival for directing the feature Another Silence in 2011.
Julie Gayet’s ex-husband, the writer Santiago Amigorena, 51, confirmed his former wife was “very calm and confident” as she hid away from the media storm created by the scandal.
He said his ex-wife, with whom he has two sons, was a “sublime actress, who works a lot, a mother who cares for her two children”.
Santiago Amigorena insisted there was “no fault, no deception” on her part.
Closer magazine has revealed that President François Hollande’s relationship with actress Julie Gayet goes back for over two years
Julie Gayet’s ex-husband, the writer Santiago Amigorena, 51, confirmed his former wife was “very calm and confident” as she hid away from the media storm created by the scandal.
He said his ex-wife, with whom he has two sons, was a “sublime actress, who works a lot, a mother who cares for her two children”.
Santiago Amigorena insisted there was “no fault, no deception” on her part.
Before her scandalous relationship with Francois Hollande, Julie Gayet did make her name for herself in the acting business overseas. According to her IMDB page, Julie Gayet has been credited in 90 roles since working in the film industry in the 1990s.
In 1997 Julie Gayet was awarded with the Brussels International Film Festival award for best actress for her role in the French film, Select Hotel.
In 2009, Julie Gayet won the Tokyo International Film Festival best actress award for her role in 8 Fois Debout. She is reportedly currently filming the made-for-TV movie Ca va passer… Mais quand?.
Meanwhile, Julie Gayet, breaking her silence about the affair, has formally denied in a statement to Europe 1 radio reports that she is four months pregnant. An unsourced rumor of her pregnancy, which appeared briefly on a French blog, was picked up by some foreign media earlier this week.
Julie Gayet is already the parent to two teenage sons.
According to a report from the Telegraph, Julie Gayet comes from a prestigious upbringing. The British publication reported last week that Francois Hollande’s alleged lover was raised in the western Paris suburb of Suresnes. Her parents reportedly worked as a surgeon and an antiques dealer. According to the article, Julie Gayet has previously commented on her upbringing, stating that she didn’t take on acting as a career “for the money”.
When recently prompted by reporters to address his alleged affair with Julie Gayet and his relationship with Valerie Trierweiler, President Francois Hollande would only reveal the current “pain” he is dealing with in his personal life, saying: “Everyone in his private life can go through ordeals. That is what is happening to us.”
A survey for French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur showed a three-point jump among women in approval for President Francois Hollande following Julie Gayet affair report, from 23% in December to 26%.
In contrast, men in France seem far less impressed by the president’s reported liaisons and his rating stayed at 26%.
Francois Hollande’s official partner Valerie Trierweiler, 48, is still in a hospital bed in central Paris, where she has been lying since news of the president’s affair with Julie Gayet, 41, broke last Friday.
There is nothing physically wrong with Valerie Trierweiler, but she said learning about the relationship was like “being hit by a high-speed train” and is desperate to win public sympathy.
Intriguingly, an Elysee Palace spokesman would not say to whether Francois Hollande had even visited his de fact first lady in hospital, where Valerie Trierweiler has so far spent few nights.
Francois Rebsamen, a Socialist MP, said the revelations showed the entire idea of a First Lady was outdated.
“There is no longer a First Lady in France – these practices are outdated, passé and should be banned,” he told RTL radio.
He added: “François Hollande himself said it at one point: You elect a person. And then this person can live alone, can be single, can live with another man or a woman. It’s doesn’t interest people and it doesn’t come into play.”
“This means that there is no First Lady, it’s over.”
Valerie Trierweiler and Francois Hollande are not married but have been together for six years, making her the de facto first lady
Mother-of-three Valerie Trierweiler, 48, has told friends she is ready to forgive Francois Hollande if he states both “publicly and privately” that his affair with Julie Gayet is over.
Francois Hollande has spoken only about the scandal since it was made public last Friday, to say he deplored the intrusion into his privacy.
Despite the media attention, a recent poll found 80% of French people believed Francois Hollande’s love life should remain private.
And 90% believed France’s struggling economy is the most critical issues facing the nation.
A spokesman said Valerie Trierweiler, would stay in hospital “for another six or eight more days”, adding that she needed rest after a “very strong emotional shock”.
From her hospital bed, Valerie Trierweiler seemed well enough to be orchestrating a campaign to win public sympathy.
She let it be known that she felt she had been “hit by a high-speed train” – but was ready to forgive Francois Hollande.
Valerie Trierweiler and Francois Hollande are not married but have been together for six years, making her the de facto first lady when the Socialist leader became president in 2012.
The divorced magazine journalist, who still writes a column for Paris Match, has been widely criticized for her high living.
She has five taxpayer-funded staff at her permanent disposal and the use of several homes, jets and limousines.
Valerie Trierweiler has been personally briefing French newspaper Le Parisien, which quoted “a friend” as saying: “She seems ready to forgive, but she wants to know quickly what Francois Hollande’s intentions are.”
Frédéric Gerschel of Le Parisien later said he had spoken directly to Valerie Trierweiler.
He said: “She has made it clear that a clarification is needed. She knows that, if she is no longer first lady she cannot continue to have an office in the Elysee and make use of state funds.”
Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter Zara Tindall has given birth to a baby girl weighing 7lbs 12oz, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Zara Tindall’s husband, rugby player Mike Tindall, was present at the birth of their first child at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and the families of both parents have been informed and are said to be delighted at the news.
The baby, as yet unnamed, becomes 16th in line for the throne.
Zara Tindall later left the hospital and returned home. The couple has yet to make a statement.
Mike and Zara Tindall welcomed a baby girl
Mike and Zara Tindall were married at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh in July 2011.
The new arrival is the third grandchild of the Princess Royal and the Queen and Prince Philip’s fourth great-grandchild.
The birth follows that of Prince George in July last year to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
In a statement, the Queen’s press secretary said: “The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Mike’s parents, Mr. Phillip and Mrs. Linda Tindall, have been informed and are delighted with the news.
“The baby’s name will be confirmed in due course.”
PM David Cameron tweeted: “Many congratulations to Zara and Mike Tindall on the birth of their baby girl.”
Zara Tindall, 32, does not hold a royal title and is not referred to as Her Royal Highness. Her daughter will be known as Miss Tindall.
Mike Tindall, 34, a former England rugby star, is now a player-coach at Gloucester.
Julie Gayet, the actress who is believed to be having an affair with Fance’s President Francois Hollande, is reported to be four-month pregnant.
The sensational claim, posted on the official Twitter account of the lereel.fr website, is said to have come from a source close to Francois Hollande and been confirmed by a journalist working for the M6 television news channel.
A translation of the post reads: “Julie Gayet is four months pregnant according to a source close of Francois Hollande at the Elysee, information confirmed by a journalist at M6.”
Julie Gayet, the actress who is believed to be having an affair with Fance’s President Francois Hollande, is reported to be four-month pregnant
On Tuesday’s press conference, President Francois Hollande refused to answer whether his long-term partner Valerie Trierweiler is still France’s First Lady, but said he would clarify her status before his trip to Washington next month.
Francois Hollande said he would answer the question of Valerie Trierweiler’s status before his planned visit to the US on February 11.
He said the presidential partner had “no official status” in France, and he was determined to keep costs down, whoever was confirmed as First Lady.
Valerie Trierweiler is the first person to hold the post who was not married to the president.
Closer magazine claims French President Francois Hollande has been having an affair with actress Julie Gayet for two years.
The gossip magazine also printed more details of the alleged romance, which it says began during the 2012 presidential race.
Julie Gayet has announced she is suing Closer magazine for breach of privacy.
Francois Hollande’s official partner and France’s first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, remains in hospital, where she was admitted after learning of the alleged affair a week ago.
In its latest revelations, Closer said Francois Hollande used a second apartment in the west of Paris to meet the 41-year-old actress.
It is claimed the pair snatched weekends together in the south of France, and that Francois Hollande made excuses to avoid a holiday in Greece last year with Valerie Trierweiler, so he could travel instead to his Correze constituency with Julie Gayet.
The magazine said the president and Julie Gayet had been having a “turbulent romance” for two years – during and after Francois Hollande’s election campaign.
The magazine did not publish any further photos despite earlier reports that it would.
Closer magazine claims French President Francois Hollande has been having an affair with actress Julie Gayet for two years
Julie Gayet is seeking 50,000 euros ($68,000) in damages and 4,000 euros in legal costs from the magazine.
If she wins, Closer will have to publish the legal verdict on its cover page, AFP reports.
Francois Hollande decided not to take legal action after first threatening to.
Valerie Trierweiler – seemingly still keen to defend Francois Hollande’s character – is said to have defended him following reports he had not visited her in hospital.
She phoned a journalist on Thursday to explain it was her doctors who had asked Francois Hollande not to attend.
Valerie Trierweiler said she is still too weak to stand – and that the president has sent flowers and chocolates in his absence.
In response to the reports, a source at the Elysee Palace said Francois Hollande was “not unhappy” about the hospital forbidding him to visit.
Meanwhile, French magazine Le Point has quoted a friend of Valerie Trierweiler saying she had not tried to commit suicide but had taken “one pill too many”.
Francois Hollande, 59, told reporters on Tuesday he was experiencing a “difficult moment” in his private life but refused to answer questions over the report in Closer, saying “private matters should be dealt with privately”.
Nor would he clarify whether Valerie Trierweiler, 48, was still first lady before a February trip to the US.
Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has said Damascus is ready to offer a prisoner exchange with rebels.
Speaking in Moscow, Walid Muallem also said he had presented a ceasefire plan for the second city Aleppo to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
The moves came as the opposition Syrian National Coalition meets in Istanbul to decide whether to go to next week’s peace conference.
The coalition is under Western pressure to participate in the Geneva II talks.
However, many of its members have already pulled out.
Some are reluctant to go unless Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is excluded from any transitional government, but Damascus says there should be no pre-conditions for the talks.
Meanwhile Lebanese security officials said rockets fired from Syria had hit the Lebanese border town of Arsal, killing at least six people, among them at least one child, and injuring at least 15.
Speaking in Moscow, Walid Muallem said he had presented a ceasefire plan for the second city Aleppo to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov
Arsal, in the Bekaa valley, is predominantly Sunni and its residents have been broadly supportive of the Sunni-dominated uprising against President Assad, whose Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam.
It has been flooded with refugees since the Syrian military launched an offensive nearby in November.
The three-year conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives.
An estimated two million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced.
Walid Muallem said he was ready to exchange lists of prisoners.
“I informed Lavrov of our principled position in favor of an agreement to exchange those held in Syrian prisons for those taken by the other side,” he said.
“We are ready to exchange lists and develop the necessary mechanism for accomplishing these goals.”
The Syrian foreign minister added that he had given Russia a ceasefire plan for Aleppo, which he said he wanted to “serve as an example to other towns”.
But correspondents say it remains far from clear that even a partial ceasefire could be achieved.
On Thursday, the two foreign ministers held talks with Iranian officials.
Sergey Lavrov said there was “no hidden agenda” to their meeting.
“This does not mean that we have some tri-party (peace) draft,” he told reporters.
Legendary actress Suchitra Sen has died in the Indian city of Calcutta at the age of 82.
Suchitra Sen had been admitted to a hospital in Calcutta last month with a chest infection and her condition worsened on Thursday night, doctors said.
Known as the Greta Garbo of India for leading a reclusive life after she left films, Suchitra Sen was an iconic star of regional Bengali cinema.
She also acted in a number of Bollywood films such as Devdas and Aandhi.
Suchitra Sen teamed up with Bengali star Uttam Kumar to form a popular pair that delivered a series of hits in Bengali cinema for over two decades.
Known as the Greta Garbo of India for leading a reclusive life after she left films, Suchitra Sen was an iconic star of regional Bengali cinema
She quit films in 1978 and led a hermit-like existence, reportedly refusing to meet people outside her own family. She had not been seen in public or photographed in the past three decades.
Suchitra Sen made her debut in 1953 with the hugely popular comedy Share Chuattar (Seventy-four-and-a-half), which was also her first film with Kumar.
Her performance as a nurse hired by a psychiatrist to develop personal relationships with male patients in the 1959 film Deep Jwele Jaai was hailed as one of her best.
Suchitra Sen is survived by her actress daughter Moon Moon Sen. Her grand daughters, Riya and Raima Sen, are also actresses.
Google has announced it is testing a “smart contact lens” that can help measure glucose levels in tears.
The lens uses a “tiny” wireless chip and a “miniaturized” glucose sensor embedded between two layers of lens material.
Google said it is also working on integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed certain thresholds.
But it added that “a lot more work” needed to be done to get the technology ready for everyday use.
“It’s still early days for this technology, but we’ve completed multiple clinical research studies which are helping to refine our prototype,” Google said in a blogpost.
“We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease.”
Google’s latest foray with the smart contact lens is aimed at a sector where consumer demand for such devices is expected to grow.
Google smart contact lens uses a “tiny” wireless chip and a “miniaturized” glucose sensor embedded between two layers of lens material
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), one in ten people across the world’s population are forecast to have diabetes by 2035.
People suffering from the condition need to monitor their glucose levels regularly as sudden spikes or drops are dangerous. At present, the majority of them do so by testing drops of blood.
Google said it was testing a prototype of the lens that could “generate a reading once per second”.
The company said it was working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bring the product to mainstream use.
It added that it would look for partners “who are experts in bringing products like this to market”.
Google said it would work with these partners to develop apps aimed at making the measurements taken by the lens available to the wearer and their doctor.
President Barack Obama is to announce changes to NSA’s electronic spy programs after revelations made by Edward Snowden.
The president aims to restore public confidence in the intelligence community.
Barack Obama is expected to create a public advocate at the secretive court that approves intelligence collection.
The president’s proposals come hours after UK media reports that the US has collected and stored almost 200 million text messages per day across the globe.
According to the Guardian newspaper and Channel Four News, the National Security Agency (NSA) program extracted and stored data from the SMS messages to gather location information, contacts and financial data.
The report is the latest in a series of revelations from files leaked by Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor charged in the US with espionage and currently a fugitive in Russia.
Barack Obama’s speech on Friday at Department of Justice comes after a five-person White House panel given the job of reviewing US electronic spying programs in the wake of Edward Snowden’s disclosures presented their report in December.
President Barack Obama is to announce changes to NSA’s electronic spy programs after revelations made by Edward Snowden
Among their recommendations was the creation of a public advocate position at the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), where judges have approved the mass spying program. Currently, only the US government is represented in front of FISC judges.
In details leaked to various US media by the White House, Barack Obama is expected to endorse that position, as well as extending some privacy protections for foreigners.
He is also expected to include increased oversight of how the US monitors foreign leaders and to limit how long some data can be stored.
However Barack Obama is not expected to endorse one of the panel’s headline recommendations – shifting the storage of phone records from the NSA to the telecommunications firm or a third party where it can be queried under limited conditions.
He is expected to leave the decision on whether that should be implemented to Congress.
Civil rights and privacy groups were wary ahead of the speech.
The Guardian report describes an NSA program called Dishfire, which analyses SMS messages to extract information including contacts from missed call alerts, location from roaming and travel alerts, financial information from bank alerts and payments and names from electronic business cards,
It also alleges that the NSA’s UK counterpart GCHQ searched the NSA’s database for information regarding people in the UK.
Doctors at Grenoble University Hospital, where Michael Schumacher was placed into a medically induced coma, fear the racing champion “could be in a coma forever.”
On December 29, Michael Schumacher injured himself in a skiing accident in the French Alps.
Since the accident, Michael Schumacher, 45, has undergone two brain surgeries and, despite some reports of small progress, doctors have been steadfast in their insistence that that status of his brain injuries remain critical.
Michael Schumacher injured himself in a skiing accident in the French Alps
The German magazine Focus spoke with experts on Michael Schumacher’s condition and reported that the seven-time Formula 1 champion “could be in a coma forever”. In addition, doctors in France told the German newspaper Bild that Michael Schumacher’s condition is so grave there are currently no plans to wake him.
The biggest concern for doctors when it comes to patients in forced comas is that oxygen to the brain is reduced in a coma, and the longer the patient remains in a comatose state, the more likely long-term effects such as brain and organ damage are sustained.
Duck Dynasty returned to lower viewership than its previous two premieres after Phil Robertson controversy in December.
Duck Dynasty Season 5 premiere had 8.5 million viewers. That’s huge for a cable reality show, but down 28% from its record-setting fourth season debut in August (11.8 million). It’s also slightly down from the show’s Season 3 premiere in February 2013 (8.6 million).
A&E notes the number up slightly from the fourth season finale on October 23.
Duck Dynasty returned to lower viewership than its previous two premieres after Phil Robertson controversy
Duck Dynasty provoked a heated controversy in December after Phil Robertson criticize gays during a GQ magazine interview, as well as made inflammatory comments about blacks during the Civil Rights era.
Last night’s episode and most of the rest of the current season was shot before the controversy. Presumably because of the controversy, the Robertson clan and producers were not made available for media interviews to promote the new season.
Duck Dynasty came back the same night as Fox’s American Idol, which was also down.
Duck Dynasty Season 5 premiered last night on A&E with two episodes.
Uncle Si Robertson is sick, so he has planted his “microbe” infested body on Phil’s couch to be taken care of by Miss Kay.
Si Robertson has also brought every single movie in the Air Bud franchise.
“Look, I’m a connoisseur when it comes to animal sports movies – Air Bud is an epic classic,” Si Robertson says.
“It blows Rudy out of the water … it makes Field of Dreams look like Rookie of the Year.”
Phil Robertson can’t agree because it’s too unrealistic. He prefers the Bourne series.
Uncle Si Robertson organized an age-inappropriate treasure hunt for Jep’s kids
There was also a lot of talk of microbes throughout the two episodes. Phil Robertson thinks Uncle Si is a hypochondriac who has claimed to have everything from bird flu to sausage fingers.
In the second part of the show, Phil Robertson has his own bizarre microbe philosophies.
Jep Robertson says his father used to expose them to microbes all the time to build up immunities. Phil Robertson suggests Jep do the same for his kids by having them go outside and throw dung at each other.
Meanwhile, Uncle Si organized an age-inappropriate treasure hunt for Jep’s kids that was as confusing to its participants as it was to the audience. It culminated in digging up candy buried in what appeared to be a grave site.
On Duck Dynasty Season 5 premiere night, the bearded Robertson clan was debating the artistic superiority of the Air Bud versus Jason Bourne film franchise.
There was also contention surrounding the merits of group texting and emojis.
Jase, Jep, Phil, Willie and John Luke Robertson went on a hunting excursion. But they aren’t talking ducks. Rather they were in deep debate about all things texting related.
Jase Robertson said: “Group texts are the worst. They’re like a terrible technological snowball coming down a mountain and you can’t stop it… What was the original conversation? No one knows. No one cares. Stop having a conversation on my phone.”
This naturally led to discussion of emojis, of which John Luke Robertson is also a fan.
Duck Dynasty Season 5 premiered last night with the bearded Robertson clan debating the artistic superiority of the Air Bud versus Jason Bourne film franchise
“Like smiley faces and people – animals sometimes,” he said.
John Luke Robertson continued to discuss emojis with his father Willie after duck hunting is over, saying: “There are all kinds of emojis.”
Willie Robertson asked: “What’s that? A bearded guy?”
John Luke answered: “That’s a monkey.”
Duck Dynasty’s newcomer Rebecca Robertson told John Luke that guys don’t really emoji.
Viewers were introduced to Rebecca Robertson, a Taiwanese foreign exchange student that Willie and his wife Korie adopted 10 years ago.
Duck Dynasty Season 5 premiered last night on A&E with two episodes.
Viewers were introduced to Rebecca Robertson, a Taiwanese foreign exchange student that Willie and his wife Korie adopted 10 years ago.
Rebecca Robertson, 24, studied fashion in LA, but then came back to Louisiana for what Willie thought was a visit. But when Rebecca brings a million suitcases and a French bull dog, it’s clear that this isn’t a two-day trip. Rebecca, however, is welcomed home with open arms and a planned out surprise party — the Robertson men bought a banner that says “Congratulations” instead of “Welcome Home” because it was on sale.
Rebecca Robertson studied fashion in LA and came back to Louisiana
The other new character is a family member of Korie Robertson. John David is Willie’s new assistant who Jase Robertson said only got hired because: “He just wanted someone heavier and hairier so that he would look better by comparison.”
At first there’s tension in the workplace — John David wears flip flops, brings lukewarm donuts, and doesn’t know how to blow a duck call — but he makes up for it after he buys the team a new basketball.
John David won a place in Willie’s heart because he can recite Nacho Libre ad nauseam.
Uncle Si Robertson is sick, so he has planted his “microbe” infested body on Phil’s couch to be taken care of by Miss Kay.
Si Robertson has also brought every single movie in the Air Bud franchise.
“Look, I’m a connoisseur when it comes to animal sports movies – Air Bud is an epic classic,” Si Robertson says.
“It blows Rudy out of the water … it makes Field of Dreams look like Rookie of the Year.”
Phil Robertson can’t agree because it’s too unrealistic. A dog just can’t dunk a basketball! He prefers the Bourne series.
There was also a lot of talk of microbes throughout the two episodes. Phil Robertson thinks Uncle Si is a hypochondriac who has claimed to have everything from bird flu to sausage fingers.
In the second part of the show, Phil Robertson has his own bizarre microbe philosophies.
Jep Robertson says his father used to expose them to microbes all the time to build up immunities. Phil Robertson suggests Jep do the same for his kids by having them go outside and throw dung at each other.
Meanwhile, Uncle Si organized an age-inappropriate treasure hunt for Jep’s kids that was as confusing to its participants as it was to the audience. It culminated in digging up candy buried in what appeared to be a grave site.
Bernie Ecclestone has decided to step down from the board of the company which runs Formula 1 following his indictment on bribery charges in Germany.
However, Bernie Ecclestone, 83, will continue to run the business on a day-to-day basis, Delta Topco said in a statement.
Bernie Ecclestone will go on trial to face allegations he bribed German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky who is serving a jail sentence for receiving the payment.
He admits paying Gerhard Gribkowsky, but denies bribery.
Bernie Ecclestone has decided to step down from the board of the company which runs Formula 1 following his indictment on bribery charges in Germany
The board of Delta Topco met on Thursday and were told by Bernie Ecclestone that he intended to vigorously defend the case, which will commence in late April.
A statement read: “After discussion with the board, Mr. Ecclestone has proposed and the board has agreed that until the case has been concluded, he will step down as a director with immediate effect, thereby relinquishing his board duties and responsibilities until the case has been resolved.
“The board believes that it is in the best interests of both the F1 business and the sport that Mr. Ecclestone should continue to run the business on a day to day basis, but subject to increased monitoring and control by the board.
“Mr. Ecclestone has agreed to these arrangements.”
German prosecutors have accused Bernie Ecclestone of giving a $45 million bribe to Gerhard Gribkowsky to ensure F1 was sold to a private equity group of his choosing.
