He did it again! Pope Francis has broken again with protocol after inviting an old friend, Father Fabian Baez, to join him on his Popemobile at the Vatican.
Father Fabian Baez was among well-wishers and pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday as part of Pope Francis’ first general audience of the year.
Pope Francis told security guards to fetch his friend at which point Father Fabian Baez ran to embrace the pope before joining him in the open-top vehicle.
[youtube r4E9KzEfZ80 650]
However, prosecutors said that Devyani Khobragade, 39, had also been granted immunity and that US officials had asked her to leave the country.
Prosecutors initially said Devyani Khobragade had already left but were later told by her lawyer that she was still in the US.
Devyani Khobragade was detained on charges of visa fraud and of underpaying her housekeeper in New York last month.
India had demanded a US apology for her “humiliation”, which included a strip-search.
A spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a statement that they “had been advised by the State Department that, pursuant to their request, Devyani Khobragade was to have left the United States this afternoon”.
However, later in the day “Ms Khobragade’s lawyer advised that she has not, in fact, departed the US”.
Daniel Arshack, Devyani Khobragade’s lawyer, later confirmed this, saying that she was “at home with her children”.
Devyani Khobragade had been handcuffed and searched after a complaint from the maid, Sangeeta Richard.
She denied all the charges and in turn accused Sangeeta Richard of theft and attempted blackmail.
Delhi ordered a series of diplomatic reprisal measures against the US, and relations between the two countries have been strained over the case.
Security barricades around the American embassy in Delhi were removed and a visiting US delegation was snubbed by senior Indian politicians and officials.
On Wednesday, the US embassy in Delhi was ordered to stop “commercial activities on its premises”. India also said that embassy cars could be penalized for traffic offences.
The US embassy in Delhi has been told to shut down a club within its premises which includes a pool, restaurant and tennis court, NDTV news channel said.
[youtube 4ws-1Vy1ao4 650]
Both acts have four nominations, followed closely by pop star Ellie Goulding and dance collective Rudimental, who have three each.
Two-time Brit winner David Bowie is up for best British male and best album, while Arctic Monkeys also get two nods.
The Sheffield band will open the awards ceremony on February 19.
Other bands scheduled to perform at the show include Bastille, Bruno Mars, up for best international male, and Rudimental.
The dance act, whose three nominations include British group, have spent the last year investing in their own live show and are “excited” to perform at the awards.
Katy Perry, who competes in the international female category after last year’s global hit Roar, will also take to the stage on the night.
New artists feature strongly on this year’s long list, with London Grammar, John Newman, Lorde, Drake and Haim all receiving their first nominations.
London four-piece Bastille, who met at university in Leeds, are up for best single, best British group, breakthrough artist and best album for their debut Bad Blood.
Featuring the catchy, triumphant hit singles Pompeii and Things We Lost In The Fire, it went straight to the top of the UK charts in March and ended up the year’s 11th best-selling album.
Disclosure, who are nominated in the same four categories, are brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence from Surrey.
Combining soul melodies with deep house and UK garage, their album, Settle, featured guest vocals from fellow Brit nominees Sam Smith and London Grammar, and was a number one in June.
Ellie Goulding is nominated twice in the best single category, for the dance-pop anthem Burn and her collaboration with DJ Calvin Harris, I Need Your Love.
Also up for female solo artist – where her competition includes Birdy, Jessie J, Laura Marling and Laura Mvula – an “overwhelmed” Ellie Goulding announced at the nominations launch that she too would be performing live at the ceremony.
David Bowie is a strong contender for best British male, after emerging from a 10-year hiatus and rumored health problems last year.
David Bowie, who celebrated his 67th birthday on Wednesday, is old enough to be the grandfather of his fellow nominees: Jake Bugg, Tom Odell, John Newman and Mercury Prize winner James Blake.
He is also up for best British album – deemed the night’s main award – for The Next Day, where he must see off Bastille, Disclosure, Arctic Monkeys, for their lascivious fifth album AM, and Rudimental, for the euphoric club record Home.
If David Bowie wins either award, he will receive his first Brit statuette since being honored with the outstanding contribution award 18 years ago.
For the second year running, there will be no outstanding contribution award in 2014.
However, the best British video category is being resurrected for the first time since 2002, when it was won by So Solid Crew’s 21 Seconds.
Nominations for the prize have yet to be announced, but the winner will be decided on the night by fans using social media.
That makes One Direction, whose fanbase are particularly ardent, the likely winners. Harry, Zayn, Louis, Liam and Niall are also expected to lift the “global success award”, which recognizes overseas record sales.
With nominations for best British group and best single, the boyband could be the night’s big winners.
Some major artists have been overlooked – including Vampire Weekend, Robbie Williams, Kanye West and Beyonce, whose self-titled album arrived slightly too late for the eligibility period.
Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus were also missing – perhaps a reaction to the controversy over their sexually-charged music videos.
The trophies, designed by Philip Treacy, will be handed out at London’s O2 arena on February 19, with comedian James Corden presiding over the ceremony for the third and final time.
[youtube QtvXfWeHgeU 650]
Meryl Streep showed she is far from a cozy establishment figure as she carefully trod a line between praising Emma Thompson and attacking Walt Disney.
The film Emma Thompson was being celebrated for, Saving Mr. Banks, is based around Walt Disney’s persuading of PL Travers to allow him to adapt Mary Poppins.
According to Variety magazine, Meryl Streep called Emma Thompson “a beautiful artist” who is “practically a saint”, and read out a self-penned poem to the actor, before launching into her criticisms of Walt Disney. She quoted a letter he wrote to a female animator that read: “Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that task is performed entirely by young men.”
Meryl Streep also noted that Walt Disney’s colleague Walter Kimball said that his boss “didn’t trust women or cats”.
[youtube m65-UV_71xs 650]
It is not yet clear if Eddie Irvine, who is from North Ireland, will actually have to serve time in jail.
Eddie Irvine and Gabriele Moratti, the son of a former Milan mayor, were found guilty of “mutual injury”.
They had blamed each other for the dispute that took place in the VIP section of the club in December 2008.
Both Eddie Irvine, 48, and Gabriele Moratti had accused the other of using a glass during the brawl in Milan’s Hollywood nightclub.
The Reuters news agency reported Gabriele Moratti’s lawyer, Vincenzo Saponara, as saying the sentence was likely to be suspended and that neither man would go to jail.
Vicenzo Saponara denied Italian media reports the two had fought over a woman.
The lawyer said: “Obviously it’s easy for newspapers to say they fought because of jealousy over a woman, that they were two men who were rivals for her.
“It’s a nice story. But in reality that’s not the case.”
Eddie Irvine drove for Jordan, Ferrari and Jaguar over a nine-year career in motor racing’s most prestigious sport.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls appealed to the Council of State to intervene minutes after a judge in the city of Nantes overturned the ban.
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala has seven convictions for anti-Semitic hate speech.
He has already arrived at the theatre in Nantes, where more than 5,000 people were due to see the show.
Police have deployed outside the venue as a precaution. The verdict was greeted with boos and chants of Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s name by those who had gathered to see the show.
On his Facebook page, Dieudonne M’bala M’bala appealed to those gathered outside Nantes’ Zenith theatre to return peacefully to their homes, saying he had been denied permission to address them.
The comic said that on Friday he would post a new video on his YouTube channel.
The judge in Nantes had earlier said he did not regard the show, entitled The Wall, as having “an attack on human dignity as its main object”.
But the Council of State upheld the ban on Thursday’s performance, the first on a scheduled tour, despite a challenge by the comic’s lawyers saying his freedom of expression had been breached.
The council cited the risk to public order in its reinstatement of the ban.
The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, had called on France to “confront this preacher of hate head on”.
The government can be satisfied that a man they regard as a dangerous anti-Semite has been kept from the public arena.
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s supporters will say it is just more evidence of how he and his ideas are silenced by the system, he adds.
French media who have sent reporters to previous performances of The Wall say it contained a string of derogatory references to Jews.
Speaking on Thursday from Brittany, Manuel Valls said that “peddlers of hate stop at nothing and show boundless creativity”.
“Faced with this creativity of hate, should we do nothing? Certainly not. The status quo is not a solution,” he said.
The French government made a concerted effort to stop the tour after Dieudonne M’bala M’bala was recorded making remarks about Jewish journalist Patrick Cohen.
“When I hear him talking, I say to myself: Patrick Cohen, hmm… the gas chambers… what a shame,” he was recorded as saying.
He has also been accused of deriding Holocaust survivors and victims in his material.
On Monday, Manuel Valls said he had advised city mayors and police prefects that Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s show could be banned if it was deemed to present a threat to public order.
However, Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s lawyer said banning the show would be a clear breach of the principle of free expression, and that contrary to government claims, there was no evidence that his performances were a threat to public order.
The comic remains booked to play at a series of French venues until June, although the cities of Bordeaux and Marseille have cancelled his performances and in light of the latest ruling, it is not clear whether the rest of the tour can go ahead.
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala denies his trademark quenelle gesture is an inverted Nazi salute, instead describing it as an anti-establishment sign.
[youtube -qfQ8iTJQeY 650]
On Wednesday, a jury concluded Mark Duggan was lawfully killed when he was shot dead by police in August 2011.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe thanked Mark Duggan’s family for “expressing their desire to pursue their case peacefully”.
Mark Duggan’s death in Tottenham, north London, sparked widespread disorder.
The killing of Mark Duggan, 29, was followed by protests which descended into looting and rioting in the capital and spread to other cities in England.
Earlier, his aunt Carole Duggan said: “No demonstrations, no more violence, we will have to fight this and go through the struggle peacefully to get justice.”
Following the conclusion of the inquest, the family reacted with anger to the jury’s decision that officers had acted within the law.
Carole Duggan has called for the Independent Police Complaints Commission to review the case.
British PM David Cameron welcomed Carole Duggan’s message of restraint, but stressed the outcome of the inquest had to be respected.
He said: “These issues raise very strong emotions but I hope people can react calmly and recognize that we have proper judicial processes in this country and they are the ones that must be followed.
“I very much respect Mark Duggan’s aunt for saying pursue the case in the courts and not the street.”
David Cameron did admit more work was needed to improve race relations.
“There’s still racial prejudice in our country, there’s still discrimination,” he said.
“But I think what you can see is governments…trying to break down these barriers and end discrimination and make sure people are valued for the passion in their heart and the thoughts their head, rather than the color of their skin.”
Meanwhile it has emerged the names of the ten jurors who delivered the verdict are to remain confidential.
The seven women and three men, who come from the north London boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Harrow and Haringey, have been offered counseling which is routine in cases deemed to be of a sensitive nature.
[youtube UkwFPiuj9xg 650]
Bernard Hogan-Howe admitted the force must “do more to build trust” after an inquest jury found Mark Duggan, 29, was lawfully killed.
Mark Duggan was shot dead by police in August 2011 in Tottenham, north London.
Bernard Hogan- Howe will meet community leaders in Haringey to discuss how “confidence” in the Met can be improved.
The family of Mark Duggan reacted with anger after the jury concluded by a majority of 8 to 2 that he was lawfully killed by officers.
Mark Duggan, whose death sparked protests that descended into rioting and looting across London and spread to other parts of England, was shot when police stopped a taxi he was travelling in.
Following the conclusion of the four-month inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, his aunt Carole Duggan said he had been “executed”.
Bernard Hogan-Howe said: “I want to express my sympathy to Mark Duggan’s family. They’ve lost a son and brother and their friends have lost a friend.
“That’s a terrible event for everybody and they’ve had to wait a long time for this verdict.
“I hope that everybody’s able to accept the verdict of the jury. It’s a jury of ordinary Londoners who have come to a verdict which we all have to accept.
“I do acknowledge that we need to do more to build trust with the people of London and there are things that we need to learn from this event.
“First of all, I want our officers to be able to be more open when it comes to the investigations that follow these events.
“In pursuance of that we’re going to ask them to wear video cameras, so that we can record this type of incident, and I’m going to meet many people from across London, leaders from the Haringey community, to see what we need to do to work together to improve the confidence in the Met for those members of society who may feel that this has damaged their confidence in any way.”
The jury of seven women and three men was asked to answer five questions over Mark Duggan’s death.
The panel concluded Mark Duggan did not have a gun when he was shot by officers who surrounded a minicab he was travelling in.
But the jury said it was more likely than not that Mark Duggan had thrown a gun from the vehicle just before he was killed. The weapon was found about 20ft away from the scene.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is currently conducting an investigation into Mark Duggan’s death.
Deborah Coles, from the charity Inquest, said Mark Duggan’s family were considering whether to apply for the decision to be judicially reviewed.
[youtube UkwFPiuj9xg 650]
Zhang Yimou, who said he has three children, has 30 days to pay 7.5 million yuan ($1.2 million), state media say.
In December, Zhang Yimou, known for directing the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony in 2008, apologized for violating the strict policy.
China introduced the policy in the 1970s to curb population growth.
Until recently, the policy limited most urban couples to a single child. Rural families were allowed to have two children if their first-born was a girl.
However, last year, China said it would relax the policy – families will be allowed two children if one parent is an only child.
The family planning bureau in Binhu district, Wuxi city, Jiangsu province, sent Zhang Yimou, 61, a letter collecting the “social maintenance fee”, Xinhua news agency says, citing the district’s official microblog account.
The fine was calculated based on the income of Zhang Yimou and his wife, Chen Ting, when their two sons and daughter were born, the Binhu government said.
The couple made $580,000 in 2000, 2003 and 2005, the Binhu government added.
Zhang Yimou’s wife – who denied reports he fathered more children with other women – is from Wuxi city.
Zhang Yimou directed some of China’s most successful films, including Hero, The House of Flying Daggers and The Flowers of War.
Zoe Saldana will play the young pregnant wife who becomes convinced she is the target of a satanic cult.
Mia Farrow famously played the role in Roman Polanski’s 1968 film.
NBC’s Quinn Taylor called Zoe Saldana “one of our most gifted actresses” adding that she had “the perfect combination of spirit and gravitas” for the role.
Based on Ira Levin’s 1967’s horror novel, the four-part drama will be directed by Oscar-nominated Polish director Agnieszka Holland, who has worked on The Wire and The Killing.
“With Zoe leading the cast under the direction of Agnieszka Holland, this re-imagined event mini-series is off to a great start,” added Quinn Taylor.
Zoe Saldana recently completed shooting the lead role in the forthcoming Nina Simone biopic, Nina.
The decision to cast Zoe Saldana was criticized by singer Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone’s daughter who claimed she did not sufficiently resemble the star, who died in 2003. The biopic is due out later this year.
Chris Christie, who is seen as a potential Republican White House candidate, apologized for the scandal, which he said “embarrassed and humiliated” him.
The gridlock was allegedly engineered to punish a Democratic mayor who did not endorse the governor’s re-election.
Chris Christie denied all knowledge of the scandal and said he was misled.
“I’m embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team,” Chris Christie said on Thursday morning at the statehouse in the city Trenton.
The governor said repeatedly that he had nothing to do with the “callous and indifferent” lane closures.
“I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution,” he said,
“And I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here.”
Chris Christie spoke as the US Attorney’s office for New Jersey opened an inquiry into the lane closures.
Emails and texts made public on Wednesday appear to link Bridget Anne Kelly to the closure of traffic lanes feeding to the George Washington Bridge, one of the world’s busiest, in September.
The move caused traffic chaos in the New Jersey borough of Fort Lee, whose mayor declined to back Chris Christie in last autumn’s gubernatorial election.
“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Bridget Anne Kelly wrote on August 13 to David Wildstein, a New Jersey political appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which controls the span.
“Got it,” David Wildstein, a childhood friend of Chris Christie, replied.
On September 9, two of three traffic lanes to the bridge – a major crossing to New York City carrying some 300,000 vehicles on a typical day – were shut for several days.
The communications do not suggest that Chris Christie himself directly had anything to do with the lane closures, but they seem to contradict his previous assertions that none of his staff was involved.
Chris Christie and Port Authority officials initially said the decision to close the lanes was part of a traffic study.
On Wednesday evening, Mayor Mark Sokolich said the alleged skulduggery was “appalling”, adding that the ensuing gridlock had put people in danger by holding up emergency vehicles.
“It’s the example of the pettiest and most venomous side of politics,” Mark Sokolich told the Bergen Record newspaper.
Chris Christie postponed a morning event after the emails were released on Wednesday, later issuing a public statement saying he would not tolerate such behavior by his staff.
David Wildstein, who has since resigned, is due to testify under oath on Thursday before a state legislature committee investigating the matter.
Chris Christie has enjoyed high popularity in his home state, particularly after his response to Superstorm Sandy. But commentators are already suggesting the bridge scandal could tarnish his White House prospects.
“Chris in a jam” ran the headline in the New York Post.
Another tabloid, the New York Daily News, took a double swipe at Chris Christie’s weight and rumored political ambitions, writing: “Fat chance now, Chris.”
[youtube RWRTpkgActo 650]
Aitizaz Hasan, 15, was with friends outside school when they spotted a man wearing a suicide vest.
Despite the pleas of his fellow students, Aitizaz Hasan decided to confront and capture the bomber who then detonated his vest.
The boy is now being hailed as a hero in an outpouring of praise on social media.
There have even been calls for Aitizaz Hasan to receive the army’s highest honor awarded to those who have sacrificed their life for their country, though it is unclear if he would be qualified to receive it as a civilian.
The incident took place on Monday in Ibrahimzai, a Shia-dominated region of Hangu, in north-western Pakistan. There were almost 2,000 students in attendance at the time of the attack, media reports say.
Aitizaz Hasan’s friends had urged him not to confront the suicide bomber but he ignored their pleas and decided to confront the man with the intention of halting him.
His family insist that rather than focus on the sorrow brought about by his death, they want to focus on their pride in his actions.
On Twitter, users are paying tribute to Aitizaz Hasan using the hashtags #onemillionaitzaz and #AitzazBraveheart echoing the language used online around figures such as Malala Yousafzai and the Delhi rape victim, whose death galvanized Indian public opinion and prompted changes in rape laws there.
Former Pakistani ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman tweeted: “Hangu’s shaheed Aitzaz Hasan is #Pakistan’s pride. Give him a medal at least. Another young one with heartstopping courage #AitzazBraveheart.”
Hangu is close to Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal regions, which have a strong Taliban and al-Qaeda presence and the area is also known for sectarian violence against Shia Muslims.
[youtube 4vEtge3H8wQ 650]
Former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon’s health condition has deteriorated further, hospital officials say.
Ariel Sharon, 85, has been in a persistent vegetative state since a stroke in January 2006.
His condition is described as “critical” and his family is at his side, according to a statement from Sheba hospital near Tel Aviv.
Ariel Sharon, who became PM in 2001, is suffering from a malfunction of several organs including the kidneys.
[youtube wDrwXYlabrg 650]
The airports will strip people of any liquid, gel, or aerosol in their carry-on baggage, The Moscow Times reported Thursday.
In a statement on its website, Sheremetyevo airport said all liquids — including essential prescription medicine and baby food – would need to be sorted in check-in luggage. Direct flights from New York to Sheremetyevo take around 10 hours and 30 minutes.
Vnukovo airport said it would allow medicine in carry-on luggage, but only if the passenger carried an official doctor’s statement as proof, The Moscow Times said, citing Russian-language media.
Airports in Sochi, St. Petersburg and Moscow’s Domodedovo airport said they would allow liquid containers of 100 milliliters or less.
The new rules are part of a wider security crackdown and will run until March 21. Safety concerns have been inflated ahead of Sochi Winter Games following two bombings in the city of Volgograd killing 34 people in late December.
“That assassination seems more like a contract killing,” Nicolas Maduro said.
“We have identified those involved in this assassination and we are going to look for them.”
Nicolas Maduro provided no evidence that that Monica Spear was the victim of a murder-for-hire. Police had earlier described the Monday night shooting as a botched highway heist and said they were questioning five people.
The high-profile shooting — which left Monica Spear’s 5-year-old daughter wounded — has sparked outrage over violent crime in Venezuela, which had more than 24,000 homicides last year.
Protesters, including some celebrities, held a march to demand better public safety on Wednesday.
President Nicolas Maduro called a security meeting with all the country’s governors and the mayors of 79 cities with high crime rates.
“If there’s any sense to this pain, it has to be so that we all wake up,” he said of Monica Spear’s death.
Monica Spear’s ex-husband, Thomas Henry Berry, 39, an adventure tour operator, moved to the US about 15 years ago after being shot, but returned to Venezuela in 2006.
Although the couple split about two years ago, they remained closed and spent holidays and vacations together with their daughter, Maya, friends and relatives said.
They had spent the New Year on an idyllic road trip that took them from scenic Merida to the beach and to the plains, where Monica Spear, 29, who was raised on a ranch, rode horses. A video she posted to Instagram showed her blowing kisses to the camera on horseback.
After winning the title of Miss Venezuela and competing in the Miss Universe pageant, Monica Spear appeared in a half-dozen Spanish language soap operas, most recently Pasion Prohibida and Flor Salvaje on Telemundo.
[youtube df9ie68z8xs 650]
The cross is placed at 2,291 m altitude in the Bucegi Mountains of the Southern Carpathians, according to Guinness World of Records.
The Heroes’ Cross was built between 1926 and 1928 in the memory of the railway heroes who died on duty in World War I fighting against the armies of the Central Powers.
The monument is popularly known as the “Cross on Caraiman”.
The cross itself has a height of 92 ft. The width of the vertical pole is 7 ft, the horizontal arms have a length by spindle pole of 23 ft, and a square cross section with sides of 7 ft. The cross is made out of steel profiles and is mounted on a pedestal of concrete clad with stone 25 ft high. Inside the pedestal there is a room that originally housed the electric generator that powered the 120 light bulbs of 500 W each located on the perimeter of the cross.
The Heroes’ Cross was built under King Ferdinand and Queen Mary of Romania.
Mukhtar Ablyazov is accused of stealing billions of dollars from the Kazakh BTA Bank, which also operates in Russia and Ukraine.
The court said Russia should take priority.
Mukhtar Ablyazov was arrested on the French Riviera last July.
He denies the allegations. His children say his life would be in danger if he were to be transferred to Kazakhstan.
Both Ukraine and Russia have requested his extradition.
Mukhtar Ablyazov’s lawyer said he would appeal against the ruling.
The research could lead to screening and possible treatment for women at risk of early labor, say researchers at Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina.
The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, suggest certain bacteria may lead to thinning of the membranes around the baby, causing them to tear.
Early rupture of membranes causes almost a third of all premature births.
The membranes that make up the sac that holds the baby usually break at the start of labor.
If a mother’s waters break before the baby has reached full term, the medical term is preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM).
If this happens early, before contractions start, it can – but does not always – trigger early labor.
The researchers have found high numbers of bacteria at the site where membranes rupture, which are linked with the thinning of membranes.
If the bacteria are the cause rather than the consequence of early membrane rupture, it may be possible to develop new treatments or screen for women at risk, they say.
Study author Amy Murtha, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Duke University School of Medicine, said: “For instance, if we think that certain bacteria are associated with premature rupturing of the membranes, we can screen for this bacteria early in pregnancy.
“We then might be able to treat affected women with antibiotics and reduce their risk for PPROM.
“Our research is several steps away from this, but it gives us opportunities to explore potential targeted therapeutic interventions, which we lack in obstetrics.”
The researchers examined membrane samples in 48 women who had just given birth, including those with PPROM, those who had an early birth for other reasons, and those with babies born at full term.
The researchers found bacteria were present in all membranes, but the more bacteria present, the thinner the membranes, especially in women with PPROM.
Other 12 people have been reportedly injured.
The blast occurred in the afternoon at the chemical plant in Mie prefecture.
Maintenance crews were cleaning out a heat exchanger used in the production of silicon products when the blast happened, officials said.
It is not clear at this stage what caused the explosion.
The plant manufactures polymers and uses a number of highly-volatile chemicals including hydrogen and chlorine.
Thursday’s blast at the plant – based some 220 miles west of Tokyo – killed five of the maintenance workers on the spot.
The number of injured has ranged, in reports, from 12 to 17.
Emergency officials said there had been no fire and the situation was quickly contained.
Mitsubishi Materials – a division of the huge Mitsubishi Corporation – makes a range of automotive, electronics, and construction and engineering products.
Temperatures are rising in the Midwest and East, which has borne the brunt of polar vortex, but are still below freezing in many areas.
At least 21 people have died since Sunday as a result of the weather, and more than 11,000 flights were grounded.
US natural gas usage hit an all-time record in the US to meet heat demands.
Forecasters predicted weather would return to normal across much of the US in the coming days, after 50 US cities set new record low temperatures on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service predicted “a much-anticipated warm up” for much of the eastern US on Wednesday.
The Midwest – which experienced -37C (-35F) in recent days – also warmed slightly, but still faced temperatures 15 to 25 degrees below average.
Atlanta, Georgia, returned to a more temperate 5C (42F) on Wednesday following a record low of -14C (6F) a day earlier.
New York City topped -5C (22F) on Wednesday, after shattering a 118-year-old low temperature record with -15C (4F) on Tuesday.
Temperatures in parts of North America plunged so low this week that they eclipsed readings recently recorded on the Red Planet by the Mars Rover.
Even Alabama’s top official was not immune to the extreme cold.
Governor Robert Bentley faced an estimated $50,000 in damage after a water pipe froze and burst in the attic of his home in Tuscaloosa.
Guy Walton, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel, told media that the worst of the Arctic outbreak is over.
“It will be getting dramatically warmer from today,” he said on Wednesday.
“By Thursday temperatures will be almost back to normal.”
Scientists also posited a silver lining to the cold snap, saying it could kill some of the pests that have ravaged northern forests.
The low temperatures may also slow the migration of invasive species and prevent erosion of wetlands, they say.
[youtube 9szcDMd2vgI 650]
In an interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman had appeared to point blame at Kenneth Bae, who has been jailed for 15 years by Pyongyang.
In a statement, Dennis Rodman apologized and said he had been drinking.
Dennis Rodman is in North Korea for a basketball match to mark the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The match was played on Wednesday and was attended by Kim Jong-un, to whom Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday.
Dennis Rodman is the most high-profile American to meet the North Korean leader, who he describes as a friend.
In his statement, Dennis Rodman said he took full responsibility for his actions.
“It had been a very stressful day. Some of my team-mates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates,” the basketball player wrote.
“My dreams of basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart. I had been drinking. It’s not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset. I was overwhelmed. It’s not an excuse, it’s just the truth.”
His controversial comments came as he made his fourth visit to North Korea.
Dennis Rodman had been asked several times in the past whether he could use his relationship with Kim Jong-un to discuss Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor in May 2013.
North Korea said that Kenneth Bae – described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary – had used his tourism business to plot sedition.
In the interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman lost his cool, appearing to suggest Kenneth Bae was at fault.
“If you understand what Kenneth Bae did… Do you understand what he did in this country? … I would love to speak on this,” he said.
Kenneth Bae’s sister described Dennis Rodman’s comments as appalling and said she was concerned they would hurt efforts to free her brother.
[youtube _nJ0wIPvJG8 650]
[youtube HvTng4Tm4-k 650]
Angela Merkel, 59, joined a group of children on Tuesday for a carol singing session. Although she was on crutches and limping slightly, Angela Merkel appeared to be in good spirits as she sang along.
The group of children were dressed in festive costumes and one young girl held up a song sheet for Angela Merkel to read from because she could not do so herself.
Angela Merkel injured herself when she fell during a cross-country skiing accident in the alpine region in Engadin, Switzerland earlier this week.
On Monday government spokesman Steffen Seibert said that Chancellor Angela Merkel would be out of action for the next three weeks.
Steffen Seibert explained that Angela Merkel initially thought that she had suffered bruising but a doctor’s examination revealed a partial fracture to the left interior pelvic ring. She was told that the injury would require “lots of lying down”.
[youtube P5vamE3FCTM 650]
The pontiff was at the site to spend the afternoon of the Epiphany festival there where parishioners had set up a special nativity scene.
More than 200 people took part in the re-enactment, wearing period costumes and playing the parts of villagers, artisans and street sellers. People lined the sides of the road leading to the church and watched from rooftops and balconies of surrounding buildings.
According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis greeted each of the participants and many of the parishioners who attended.
One special guest lay waiting in a small hut: a 2-month-old baby named Francesco, who had been baptized that morning and played the role of Jesus in the pageant.
A woman dressed as a shepherd placed the small lamb on Pope Francis’ shoulders. Children sang a Christmas song and gave the pope a bouquet of red roses.
At the end of his visit, Pope Francis talked about the importance of a new year beginning with Jesus, who stays by everyone’s side to overcome evil. He asked everyone to pray for children who would be born in 2014 and for all grandparents, who he said are the source of wisdom.
The priest who organizes the parish’s live Nativity scene each year said he had invited Pope Francis just a few days earlier and the pope had accepted immediately.
“The pope was so happy. He told me <<Keep it up. Don’t get discouraged>>,” Father Dario Criscuoli told journalists.
According to the Vatican newspaper, the priest said Pope Francis told him” “Surely to put something like this together you have to be crazy, but that’s OK; God likes some things that are crazy.”
[youtube Oa27mLs1fPI 650]
Sonny Kiernan, 12, was found dead in bed at his father’s property in Glasgow’s west end on Monday night.
He was taken by ambulance to the nearby Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill but could not be saved.
Police said they were investigating the “unexplained death” and a post mortem would be carried out.
But there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.
Sonny Kiernan, a Kelvinside Academy pupil, lived at the townhouse flat with his 51-year-old comedian father, his mother Lesley, 44, and 14-year-old sister, Kaye.
Comedian and TV entertainer Andy Cameron tweeted: “Dreadful news about young Sonny Kiernan.
“My thoughts are with Ford and his family. Sometimes this life is impossible to understand. RIP Sonny.”
Sonny Kiernan’s death comes as Ford Kiernan and his Still Game co-star Greg Hemphill are due to revive their hit show on stage.
Before that Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill enjoyed massive success with Chewin’ The Fat.
In 2001, Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill had celebrated becoming fathers by giving their sons starring roles in their show in 2001.
A three-month-old Sonny Kiernan and Benny Hemphill – born just 10 days apart – made their screen debut in the fourth series of the hit comedy.
At the time, Ford Kiernan joked: “We’ve negotiated separate pay cheques for them, but we stopped short of their demands for their own <<Sonny and Benny>> sketch.
“We’re all very close so they’ll grow up great pals, but I doubt they’ll end up a double act like their dads.”
However, Ford Kiernan and his wife had shielded their children from the limelight.
Sonny Kiernan’s teachers at Kelvinside Academy also paid tribute to the youngster.
A spokesman for the school said staff were “devastated” to hear of the death of the “lively, outgoing pupil”.
“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies go to Mr. and Mrs. Kiernan and Kaye for their tragic loss,” he added.
“Sonny was a lively, outgoing pupil with a warm smile and a great sense of humor.
“He made a whole-hearted contribution to the school community, bringing infectious enthusiasm to lessons and activities.
“We shall always remember him as a cheerful boy who brightened our lives.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Around 11.30 p.m. on Monday January 6, police received a report of the death of a 12-year-old boy in Glasgow.
“A post-mortem will be carried out in due course to establish the exact cause of death.
“The death is currently being treated as unexplained and inquiries are continuing.”
Sandra Bullock is up for best actress, while Alfonso Cuaron is nominated for best director.
Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave had 10 nods, with five in the main categories including best film, best director and best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o also landed supporting nominations.
American Hustle equaled 12 Years a Slave‘s tally, with nominations in all the acting categories for its stars Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
The 1970s drama, about two con artists who get entangled with the FBI, is also up for best film, with David O. Russell nominated for best director and original screenplay.
Chiwetel Ejiofor will compete for his award against Christian Bale, Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips, Bruce Dern for Nebraska and Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street.
The best actress category will see Sandra Bullock challenge Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine, Emma Thompson for Saving Mr. Banks and Judi Dench for Philomena.
The nominations saw Judi Dench set a BAFTA record, with her 15th acting nomination.
That puts her one ahead of Meryl Streep, who was overlooked in the best actress category for August: Osage County.
Other movies competing for best film include Captain Phillips and Philomena, while the latter is also nominated for best British film alongside Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Saving Mr. Banks, The Selfish Giant and Rush.
Gravity, Saving Mr. Banks and Rush all qualified for the British film category because they were either filmed in the UK, utilized British effects companies or employed other British talent, from writers to producers.
The rules are set out by the BFI’s cultural test, which determines which films are eligible for UK tax relief.
The best director category mirrored that of the Directors Guild of America – which announced its film nominations on Tuesday. Both bodies shortlisted Steve McQueen, Alfonso Cuaron and David O. Russell alongside Paul Greengrass for Captain Phillips and Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street.
Notable snubs in the acting categories included Robert Redford for sea drama All is Lost and Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club – both of whom have been tipped for Oscar consideration this year.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on February 16.
BAFTA 2014: Most nominated films
Gravity – 11
American Hustle – 10
12 Years a Slave – 10
Captain Phillips – 9
Behind the Candelabra – 5
Saving Mr. Banks – 5
[youtube 5eC3nFkB6ew 650]