A US Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter with five people on board has crashed off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia.
Four of those on board the helicopter have been rescued, according to officials.
US Coast Guard officials said they responded to a downed aircraft report at about 11:00.
In a bizarre coincidence, the incident came a day after another US military helicopter crashed in the county of Norfolk, England, killing four people.
The aircraft in Wednesday’s incident went down 18 nautical miles east of the Virginia coast. The cause of the crash is not yet known.
The US Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter had five people on board when crashed off the coast of Norfolk
Petty Officer David Weydert said that the missing fifth person was still being sought.
The Coast Guard cutter Shearwater and two MH-60S helicopters are taking part in the search.
The condition of the four rescued personnel has not been given.
The downed helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14), was on a routine training mission, the commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic said in a statement.
Norfolk is an important hub for the US military, and is home to Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval complex in the world.
Jep and Jessica Robertson expanded their family with a new dog named Gizmo.
Jep Robertson, the youngest son of Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson, posed for a pic alongside his 11-year-old daughter Lily Lulu with the cute pooch.
Jep Robertson and his daughter Lily Lulu with their new dog Gizmo
Jessica Robertson tweeted the pic with the caption: “Jep & Lily Lulu playing with our new pup Gizmo.”
Gizmo is a white and brown cutie and Lily Lulu looks extremely happy about her new furry brother.
Kim Kardashian has revealed her secrets in an ongoing online Q&A session on Mobio Insider.
Amid discussions with her fans, Kim Kardashian shared what makes a perfect selfie for her.
Kim Kardashian has revealed her secrets in an ongoing online Q&A session
Kim Kardashian, 33, noted that her favorite pictures are the ones where she looks the most glitzy, like her snaps from her travels around the globe as well as intimate shots of daughter North and fiancé Kanye West. She said: “I love a good selfie 😉 My favorite is a glam selfie, usually at a shoot when I have fab make up on! Love sharing all the makeup tips.”
Honey Boo Boo’s family was involved in a car accident in Georgia this week that required some of the reality stars to be hospitalized briefly.
Alana Thompson and her family were reportedly out shopping when the crash happened on Monday night.
Gossip website TMZ has reported that Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson was driving with Mama June and daughters Alana “Honey Boo Boo,” Jessica, and Lauryn “Pumpkin” in the vehicle.
“They were at a red light, waiting to turn left,”TMZ reported.
Honey Boo Boo’s family was involved in a car accident in Georgia this week that required some of the reality stars to be hospitalized briefly
“The light turned green and Sugar Bear began the turn. A guy driving a truck was allegedly speeding in the opposite direction with his lights off and crashed into them.”
A source told TMZ that Sugar Bear has a contusion on his back, Mama June has a back and neck sprain, Honey Boo Boo hit her head against a passenger window and has a headache, and Pumpkin has severe chest bruises and is having panic attacks.
“As many of you have heard we were in a car accident last night. It was really scary for us, since it was the first time any of us had ever been in a wreck,” June Shannon said in a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly.
“We are definitely really sore today, but our top priority is to celebrate Pumpkin’s birthday. She turned 14 today and no matter how sore we feel we are going to go out and celebrate. As always we want to thank everyone for their support and well wishes.”
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo returns to TV with new episodes January 16.
Mark Duggan was lawfully killed by police, an inquest jury has said by a majority of 8 to 2.
Mark Duggan’s death sparked UK riots in 2011.
He was shot dead by armed officers in August 2011 in Tottenham, north London.
Rioting spread across London and other parts of England in what became some of the worst disturbances in decades.
Jurors at the Royal Courts of Justice also concluded 29-year-old Mark Duggan did not have a gun when he was shot by officers.
They also said it was more likely than not that Mark Duggan had thrown a gun from a taxi just before he was killed. The weapon was found about 20ft away from the scene.
The panel of seven women and three men said police had not done enough to gather and react to intelligence about the possibility of Mark Duggan collecting a gun from Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, who has since been found guilty of supplying the firearm.
Mark Duggan was killed in August 2011
But the jury said the taxi had been stopped in a location and in a way that “minimized to the greatest extent possible recourse to lethal force”.
Following the verdict his mother Pamela Duggan was led out of the court in tears, while Mark Duggan’s brother was seen screaming and shouting.
One man shouted: “A black life ain’t worth nothing.”
Following the conclusion to the inquest, an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) spokesperson said: “We note the inquest jury’s determination and findings and we are considering them as a matter of urgency in relation to our ongoing investigation.”
The inquest began in September. Before the jurors retired last month, Judge Keith Cutler told them to reach their decisions “on the evidence and the evidence alone”.
Before the verdicts were read out, the coroner thanked the jury and told them they will be excused from future jury service for life if they want.
Jenny Lauren, niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, has been fined 2,000 euros ($2,700) for pushing an air hostess and swearing at Delta Air Lines staff.
Jenny Lauren pleaded guilty to breaching the peace and being drunk on a Delta Air Lines flight on Monday.
The Barcelona to New York flight had to be diverted to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland on Monday afternoon.
Jenny Lauren’s solicitor told Ennis District Court in County Clare that Lauren was upset and embarrassed by her actions.
The New York-based jewellery designer bit her lip and looked to the ground in the dock while a police inspector told the court she had been loud-mouthed, abusive and threatening on the aircraft.
The police inspector said the flight, bound for New York’s JFK airport, had been in the air for two hours when an air hostess noticed the defendant crying in her seat, which would not recline properly.
He said Jenny Lauren used strong language and told a stewardess to “get out of my face” as she tried to help, and when told to calm down she became more abusive.
Jenny Lauren has been fined 2,000 euros for pushing an air hostess and swearing at Delta Air Lines staff
The court heard that when the stewardess went to brief her supervisor at the top of the plane, Lauren followed her through first class and into the galley “at speed” where she ranted, roared and shouted incoherently.
“She told the air hostess she was going to go ballistic and pushed the air hostess hard and she hit her back against the wall of the aircraft,” the police officers said.
He said her “frightening experience” continued with Jenny Lauren calling her an “ugly, blonde b**ch” and calling the senior stewardess a “fat ugly, unhappy, blonde b**ch”.
A pilot on a rest break in the cabin also intervened and was called “an asshole” by the defendant, the court heard.
Jenny Lauren, dressed in a black jumper, burgundy velvet skirt and boots, looked back to her friends for reassurance as the details were outlined to the packed courtroom.
More than 200 passengers and crew were on board the flight from Barcelona to New York when the air rage incident took place.
The diversion cost Delta $43,158 (31,770 euros).
Jenny Lauren admitted being intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that she might endanger herself or other persons on board the aircraft and to breaching the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behavior.
A third charge, of engaging in behavior likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to any person on board the aircraft, after being asked by a crew member to stop, was withdrawn by the prosecution.
All the charges were brought under the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1973.
Footage from Michael Schumacher’s helmet camera shows him going at the speed of “a very good skier” when he hit a rock and fell, investigators say.
Investigators probing Michael Schumacher’s accident said he was 8 metres off-piste when he crashed.
Prosecutor Patrick Quincy said he could not as yet estimate Michael Schumacher’s speed but said it was “not an important element of the investigation”.
Michael Schumacher, 45, suffered a severe head injury in the December 29 accident.
He is currently in a medically induced coma at a clinic in Grenoble where doctors describe his condition as critical but stable.
Fans gathered outside the hospital on January 3rd to mark the racing legend’s 45th birthday.
Speaking at a news conference in the French city of Albertville, the investigating team said they had so far attended the scene of the accident in the resort of Meribel, spoken to witnesses and the medical team.
Footage from Michael Schumacher’s helmet camera shows him going at the speed of “a very good skier” when he hit a rock and fell
They have also reconstructed events leading up to the crash, examined the helmet and skis and viewed footage filmed on a camera attached to his helmet, they said.
Patrick Quincy, who is heading the investigation team, refused to be drawn on Michael Schumacher’s speed at the time of the accident saying they needed to go through the two-minutes of footage “image by image”.
But another investigator, Lt Col Benoit Vinneman said the video appeared to show “completely normal behavior by a good skier on this terrain”.
Michael Schumacher had deliberately chosen to go off piste, an area between a red and blue piste that was clearly signposted, the investigators said.
He hit a rock that was 26ft from the piste, and landed 30ft away from the piste, they outlined.
“[Michael Schumacher] is evidently an extremely good skier, but one of his skis hit a rock that was sticking out… it caused him to fall and he hit his head on the rock,” Patrick Quincy said.
Stephane Bozon, one of the local policemen involved in the investigation, said the skis were in “perfect condition” and had not been the cause of the accident.
Patrick Quincy stressed their investigation into Michael Schumacher’s accident was no different to that given to other skiing similar skiing accidents. He said they had investigated 50 such cases.
Michael Schumacher’s family has been by his bedside since the accident, and has appealed for privacy in recent days, asking journalists to leave the clinic where he is being treated.
Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in Pyongyang.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman said Kim Jong-un, who was in the audience with his wife and other senior officials, was his “best friend”.
Dennis Rodman is on his fourth North Korean visit to mark Kim Jon-un’s birthday with a basketball match.
Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in Pyongyang
He has angrily defended his visit after criticism from rights groups. The US said Dennis Rodman does not represent the country.
The crowd of about 14,000 at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium clapped and waved as Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday on Wednesday, the Associated Press news agency says.
Dennis Rodman is with a team of former National Basketball Association (NBA) players who played an exhibition match. He said the match was to celebrate Kim Jong-un’s birthday, although the leader’s official birthday and age have not been confirmed.
Dennis Rodman has said that he was on a “basketball diplomacy” mission in North Korea. He remains the highest-profile American to have met Kim Jong-un.
Former Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi might not appear in court in Cairo because bad weather has prevented his departure from prison, officials say.
Other defendants have arrived at the police compound by helicopter but Mohamed Morsi is still in Alexandria.
Mohamed Morsi and 14 other Muslim Brotherhood figures are accused of inciting the killing of protesters outside a presidential palace in 2012.
He was removed by the army last July after demonstrations against his rule.
Mohamed Morsi’s supporters have since held regular protests calling for his reinstatement.
Last Friday at least 11 people died in clashes between police and pro-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators across Egypt.
A helicopter carrying some of the defendants arrived at the National Police Academy complex in Cairo for the hearing early on Wednesday, reporters said.
However state media said Mohamed Morsi’s arrival had been delayed by bad weather. He is being held at the city’s Burj al-Arab prison.
Mohamed Morsi’s supporters have held regular protests calling for his reinstatement
Egyptian media said thousands of police were on alert and TV pictures showed some pro-Morsi protesters being arrested as they waved the four-finger salute adopted by supporters of the ousted president.
Mohamed Morsi is due to be asked to appoint a lawyer, which he refused to do during his initial appearance.
He also faces several other charges ranging from fraud to colluding with foreign militants in a terrorist plot.
Mohamed Morsi faces another court hearing at the end of January, accused with some 130 others of murdering policemen during a mass breakout from a Cairo prison in January 2011 shortly before the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.
Human rights groups have dismissed some of the allegations against him as preposterous.
Egyptian officials insist Mohamed Morsi will be given a fair trial but lawyers trying to defend him say they have been denied access to him.
He first appeared in court in early November amid chaotic scenes.
Speaking from behind bars, he insisted he was still the president and was being held against his will.
Mohamed Morsi refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the court and would not wear a prison uniform.
A video of a meteorologist tossing a pot of boiling water into the air in Wisconsin, to demonstrate how it immediately turns to snow, quickly went viral on the internet and was widely imitated.
Meteorologist Eric Holthaus demonstrates what happens when you toss a pot of boiling water into the sky when it is -21°F with a wind chill of -51°F.
Meteorologist Eric Holthaus demonstrates what happens when you toss a pot of boiling water into the sky when it is -21°F with a wind chill of -51°F
The video was shot on January 6, 2014 in Viroqua, Wisconsin.
All 50 US states saw freezing temperatures as weather records have tumbled across North America.
The most extreme arctic blasts, blamed on a weather pattern known as the polar vortex, were said to have affected nearly 190 million people.
In Kentucky, an escaped prisoner turned himself in to get out of the cold.
Some parts of the Midwest hit -26C (-14F), as low as the Antarctic coast in winter, and much colder than the inside of a domestic freezer.
Temperature records were shattered in states across the US, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
It was -17C (1F) in the small town of Hell, Michigan, prompting online jokes that the weather was so bad even hell had frozen over.
But it was Embarrass, Minnesota, that experienced the lowest temperature in the nation on Tuesday: -37C (-35F).
That was colder than readings recently recorded on the Red Planet by the Mars Rover.
All 50 US states saw freezing temperatures as weather records have tumbled across North America
A video of a meteorologist tossing a pot of boiling water into the air in Wisconsin, to demonstrate how it immediately turns to snow, quickly went viral on the internet and was widely imitated.
The extreme weather resulted in the usual travel chaos – nearly 2,700 US flights were cancelled on Tuesday.
More than 500 rail passengers on their way to Chicago were marooned overnight into Tuesday morning in northern Illinois on three Amtrak passenger trains after drifting snow and ice covered the tracks.
The big freeze was even testing the resolve of Canadians, no strangers to cold weather.
Temperatures in parts of Ontario fell to -30C (-22F), causing flights in and out of Pearson International Airport to be halted for several hours on Tuesday morning.
Roads in the cities of Toronto and Ottawa were coated in dangerous black ice.
Freezing temperatures were recorded in all 50 US states, including the usually balmy California and Florida.
Even tropical Hawaii experienced -7C (18F), reports the Associated Press news agency, although that was at the peak of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano.
Atlanta, Georgia, was 25 degrees below average for this time of year.
People in the Midwest are still digging out from two massive snow storms recently which dumped more than 2ft of snow.
A reprieve is expected soon, however, with forecasters predicting temperatures above freezing for much of the US in the coming days.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has strongly criticized President Barack Obama’s handling of the war in Afghanistan in his new book Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary of War.
In the book, Robert Gates says that the president was skeptical that his administration’s Afghan strategy would succeed.
“I never doubted [his] support for the troops, only his support for their mission,” Robert Gates writes.
Robert Gates was Pentagon chief under Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
He was the first Pentagon head to serve presidents of different parties before leaving political office in 2011.
Although Robert Gates describes Barack Obama as “a man of personal integrity” who was right in his decisions regarding Afghanistan, he says that the president was uncomfortable with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which he inherited from the Bush administration.
Robert Gates also says Barack Obama was distrustful of the military that was providing him options.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has strongly criticized President Barack Obama’s handling of the war in Afghanistan in his new book
He writes in the memoir that in March 2011 Barack Obama did not trust General David Petraeus – the US military commander in Afghanistan in 2010-11 – and “could not stand” Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Barack Obama “doesn’t consider the war to be his”, Robert Gates writes of a March 2011 meeting in the White House.
“For him, it’s all about getting out.”
According to The Washington Post, the memoir is “in contrast to his subdued, even-keeled public demeanor as Pentagon chief”, and Robert Gates “strikes an often bitter tone in his memoir”.
In the book, Robert Gates voices frustration at the “controlling nature” of Barack Obama’s White House, which he says constantly interfered in Pentagon affairs, even though civilian aides lacked knowledge of military operations.
The White House national security staff “took micromanagement and operational meddling to a new level,” Robert Gates writes, comparing their approach to that of the Nixon era of the 1970s.
“All too early in the administration,” Robert Gates writes, “suspicion and distrust of senior military officers by senior White House officials – including the president and vice president – became a big problem for me as I tried to manage the relationship between the commander-in-chief and his military leaders.”
However, Robert Gates does give credit to the president for approving the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan – which he himself initially opposed – describing it as “one of the most courageous decisions I had ever witnessed in the White House.”
Robert Gates is also effusive in his praise of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has angrily defended his visit to North Korea, ahead of a basketball game to mark Kim Jong-un’s birthday.
In an interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman was asked if he would raise the issue of a US citizen jailed in North Korea.
Dennis Rodman responded with a rant that at one point appeared to point blame at the man, Kenneth Bae.
His visit has been criticized by rights groups, with Washington making it clear he does not represent the US.
His team of former NBA players will take on a North Korean team in an exhibition match later on Wednesday in Pyongyang.
Dennis Rodman says the match is to celebrate Kim Jong-un’s birthday, although his official birthday and age have not been confirmed.
It comes weeks after the execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle, Jang Sung-taek, once seen as a major power in North Korea. His rapid and brutal purge has sparked concern over stability inside the country.
Dennis Rodman has angrily defended his visit to North Korea, ahead of a basketball game to mark Kim Jong-un’s birthday
Meanwhile, state news agency KCNA has announced that elections for North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament will be held on March 9 – something which could provide a hint of who the key players are in the wake of Jang Sung-taek’s execution.
This visit is Dennis Rodman’s fourth to North Korea. He has in the past described Kim Jong-un as a friend and says he is on a “basketball diplomacy” mission. He remains the highest-profile American to have met the young leader.
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.
Asked again in the CNN interview, Dennis Rodman appeared to lose his cool, saying: “If you understand what Kenneth Bae did … Do you understand what he did in this country? … I would love to speak on this.”
Dennis Rodman’s visit was about opening “the door a little bit”, he said, even though the team would have “to go back to America and take the abuse”.
A White House spokesman declined to comment on Dennis Rodman’s remarks, but reiterated a call for North Korea to release Kenneth Bae – who is suffering from ill health – on humanitarian grounds.
Former NBA star Charles D. Smith, meanwhile, told the Associated Press news agency that he felt “remorse” for participating in the trip amid the backlash in the US.
“I feel a lot of remorse for the guys because we are doing something positive, but it’s a lot bigger than us. We are not naive, we understand why things are being portrayed the way they are.”
Ex- NFL and Florida State player Todd Williams has been found dead in a Tampa Bay area hotel. He was 35.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reports that deputies responded to the Sarasota Suites late Monday morning, just hours before the Seminoles won a national championship.
Todd Williams, a Bradenton native, had reportedly complained to his mother of feeling sick on Friday. She found his body Monday.
He could not taste anything and had stomach pain for about a month, his mother, Ozepher Fluker, said, so she advised him to go to the hospital to get checked out Friday.
After not hearing from him over the weekend, Ozepher Fluker went to the hotel. She said she knew her son was gone when she heard crying coming from his room. Ozepher Fluker said Todd Williams lived at the hotel for about six years.
Todd Williams was one of Florida’s top prospects after his senior season at Southeast High in Bradenton
Todd Williams, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive lineman, was a member of the 1999 FSU Seminoles, who won the national championship. The team was led by another Southeast star, Peter Warrick.
Sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow says they haven’t found anything suspicious, but an autopsy will be performed.
Todd Williams was one of the state’s top prospects after his senior season at Southeast High in Bradenton.
He was a redshirt freshman on the Seminoles’ 1999 national champion team.
Todd Williams was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 2003 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers.
Vietnam veteran Robert Anderson has taken aim at Duck Dynasty products on sale at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center store in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It looks like all the items in Robert Anderson’s cross hairs will be removed from the canteen’s shelves.
Robert Anderson is one of many people upset over GQ magazine interview in which Phil Robertson made comments they found racist and homophobic.
On December 27, Robert Anderson – who served in the Air Force in Vietnam in the 1960s – wrote to the canteen that he was “greatly offend[ed] that the Veterans Administration Patriot Store would sell items promoting an entertainment group that clearly stands for racism and bigotry”.
“The reactionary views incorporated into the Duck Dynasty group are contrary to the policies and mission of the VA medical system to not discriminate among veterans based on race or gender,” he continued.
“Please remove these ugly divisive items immediately.”
Duck Dynasty products on sale at Veterans Affairs Medical Center store came under fire in Albuquerque
A few days later, in an email to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Robert Anderson urged quick action “to remove the racist and bigoted products” from Veterans Affairs canteens. On Monday, the Central New Mexico Community College instructor said he was still waiting to hear back from the national office.
Last week, Debra Abeyta, assistant chief of Canteen 501 in Albuquerque, advised Robert Anderson that she, too, was “very upset by the racist remarks made” by Phil Robertson, adding: “We here at the canteen service in no way promote such ideas and have taken steps to remove the product from the store.”
Debra Abeyta said Monday that the canteen ordered the items before the controversy erupted over Phil Robertson’s comments.
“[We] are doing all we can to get [the product] out of our stores,” she said.
Already, Debra Abeyta said, the canteen had persuaded the distributor of Duck Dynasty DVDs to take them all back and give the store credit. The canteen drastically slashed prices on other items to get rid of them but was trying to “cut our losses as much as possible.”
Phil Robertson, 67, also has come under fire for advising men to wed Bible-carrying teenage girls who can cook.
Mia Robertson, the daughter of Duck Dynasty stars Jase and Missy Robertson, has been released from hospital after cleft surgery.
According to her mother, Missy Robertson, Mia is recovering at home and already has an appetite.
Mia Robertson has been released from hospital after cleft surgery
“Mia is home and resting well. Already had 2 helpings of homemade spaghetti sauce, diluted and blended, but still tasty. #MissKaysRecipe #Mmm,” tweeted Missy Robertson from her official Twitter account.
Mia Robertson’s surgery was a success according to her father, Jase Robertson. The child was surrounded by family before the operation and she is still being treasured even after coming home.
Duck Dynasty’s Missy Robertson has launched her first clothing line in collaboration with Southern Fashion House.
“I felt there was a void in the market for busy, working moms who want to look put together without having to put a lot of effort into it while staying modest and age-appropriate. These styles are reflective of the fun new fashions that can always be found in the junior section of department stores. However, the silhouettes in the collection are intended to flatter women of all ages, shapes, and sizes,” Missy Robertson said.
Missy Robertson has launched her first clothing line in collaboration with Southern Fashion House
The new clothing line is called Missy Robertson by Southern Fashion House, a collaboration with Stephanie Carter’s Southern Fashion House, which produces Judith March, Jacque and Janis clothing lines and DejaVu boutiques.
The 2014 Missy Robertson Spring Collection –debuting this month at Market in Atlanta, Dallas and Las Vegas– consists of approximately 55 pieces including dresses, sportswear, light cover-ups, and mix-and-match tops that are both versatile and affordable.
Prince William has started full-time studies on an agriculture course at the University of Cambridge.
The Duke of Cambridge arrived at the university by public transport on the 09:44 service from London King’s Cross.
Prince William will take a 10-week course in agricultural management, organized by the university’s Programme for Sustainability Leadership.
The course is designed to help him for the time when Prince William inherits the Duchy of Cornwall estate from his father.
He is expected to make the 46-minute train journey several days a week but also has the option of overnight accommodation in Cambridge.
Prince William was greeted at St John’s College, where some of his tutorials will take place, by vice-chancellor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, along with Master of St John’s, Prof Christopher Dobson, and Polly Courtice, director of the Programme for Sustainability Leadership.
The royal toured the college’s grounds, where he stopped to look at a plaque marking the Queen’s visit there in April 2011.
Prince William arrived at the University of Cambridge by public transport
The course, which ends in March, has been designed specifically for Prince William but he will study alongside PhD students in some classes.
He will have 20 hours of teaching time each week, including work in small groups as well as one-to-one tuition and his own additional reading. He will also go on a series of field trips.
Prince William will be taught by academics specializing in geography, land economy and plant sciences.
He is expected to study subjects including rural and planning policy, farming and supply chains, site management, agricultural policy and conservation governance.
The cost of the course is being met privately.
Kensington Palace said the duke was considering a number of options for public service following the end of his service as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot in Anglesey.
The Duchy of Cornwall is the portfolio of land, property and investments that the duke will take over when the Prince of Wales becomes king.
Prince William graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2005 with a class 2:1 degree in geography, and it was as an undergraduate that he met his future wife Kate Middleton.
The first Syrian chemical weapons are leaving the country on a Danish ship.
The vessel left the northern Syrian port of Latakia on Tuesday, escorted by Russian and Chinese warships.
Removing the most dangerous chemicals is the first step of an UN-backed deal to eliminate Syria’s chemical arsenal.
A previous bid to collect the materials was aborted after Syrian officials failed to deliver the toxic chemicals to the collection point in Latakia.
The hazardous cargo is due to be taken to Italy, where it will be loaded onto a US Navy ship and shipped to international waters for destruction in a specially created titanium tank on board.
The mission is being run jointly by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The agreement was brokered by the US and Russia after rockets filled with the nerve agent sarin was fired at three towns in the Ghouta agricultural belt around the Syrian capital Damascus on 21 August.
Hundreds of people were killed in the attacks.
The first Syrian chemical weapons are leaving the country on a Danish ship
Western powers said only Syrian government forces could have carried out the assault, but President Bashar al-Assad blamed rebel fighters.
In a statement on Tuesday, the UN confirmed that a small number of containers with “priority one chemical materials” were on board the Ark Futura cargo ship, one of two vessels in charge of collecting the materials.
They will wait in international waters for additional chemicals to be delivered to Latakia for collection.
A spokeswoman said the loading took only “a couple of hours”, but this delicate phase of the operation had been “months in the planning”.
The OPCW did not disclose what percentage of Syria’s toxic arsenal – around 1,300 tonnes of weapons and precursors – had been removed.
The toxic materials were supposed to have been removed by December 31st, but the deadline was missed because of heavy fighting and the presence of opposition groups along the main road between Damascus and Latakia.
The complete elimination of all chemical weapons material and equipment must be completed by June.
The “most critical” chemicals include about 20 tonnes of the blister agent sulphur mustard.
How the plan will unfold:
The Syrian authorities are responsible for packing and safely transporting the chemical weapons from 12 sites across the country to the port of Latakia. Russia has supplied large-capacity and armored lorries, while the US has sent container drums and GPS locators.
Russia will provide security for loading operations at Latakia, for which the US has supplied loading, transportation and decontamination equipment. China has sent 10 ambulances and surveillance cameras, and Finland an emergency response team in case of accidents.
Denmark and Norway are providing cargo ships and military escorts to take the chemicals to an as yet unnamed port in Italy. Russian and China will also provide naval escorts.
In Italy, the “most critical” chemical agents will be loaded onto the US Maritime Administration cargo ship, MV Cape Ray, to be destroyed by hydrolysis in international waters. Less-toxic chemicals will be shipped by Norwegian and Danish vessels for disposal at commercial facilities.
According to new figures, the US trade deficit narrowed to its lowest level in four years in November 2013, as rising sales of oil pushed exports to a record high.
The trade gap dropped by 12.9% to $34.3 billion in November, the smallest monthly deficit since October 2009, the US Commerce Department said.
Imports fell 1.4% from October as a fall in demand for foreign oil offset a record level of imported cars.
Exports rose 0.9%, boosted by a 5.6% rise in petroleum exports.
The US trade deficit narrowed to its lowest level in four years in November 2013, as rising sales of oil pushed exports to a record high
US exports were also boosted by stronger sales of American-made planes and machinery.
The drop in oil imports was helped by lower global prices.
After peaking at $102 per barrel in September, the average price of a barrel of imported crude oil has been falling. It averaged $94.69 a barrel in November.
Ralph Lauren’s niece, Jennifer Lauren, has appeared in court charged with being drunk and abusive on a plane over an alleged air rage incident.
Jennifer Lauren is accused of breaching the peace on the Delta Air Lines flight, which had to be diverted to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland.
The New York-based jewellery designer wept before the hearing as she appeared before Killaloe District Court.
The sitting was held in the Brian Boru pub as there is no courthouse nearby.
A downstairs function room of the premises was used as a temporary courtroom.
Jennifer Lauren, 41, was arrested at Shannon Airport on Monday and held in custody overnight.
A police officer told the court that when the jewellery designer was being detained at the airport she said: “Can you say that in English please?”
Jennifer Lauren spent Monday night in a cell in Shannon Garda Station.
She made no reply when charged under the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1973.
Ralph Lauren’s niece, Jennifer Lauren, has appeared in court charged with being drunk and abusive on a plane over an alleged air rage incident
The judge heard that Jennifer Lauren was ready to enter a plea to three separate charges, but he refused to rule on the case in full and said the plea to the charges would be dealt with at a second hearing on Wednesday at Ennis District Court in County Clare.
Jennifer Lauren was charged with being intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that she might endanger herself or other persons on board the aircraft.
She was accused of engaging in behavior likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to any person on board the aircraft, after being asked by a crew member to stop.
Jennifer Lauren also faced a count of breaching the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behavior.
More than 200 passengers and crew were on board the flight from Barcelona to New York when the alleged air rage incident took place.
Before the hearing in the public house, Jennifer Lauren became emotional and wiped away tears as she spoke with friends.
She was granted bail on condition she stays at a hotel in Shannon with her travelling companions and lodges 2,500 euro of her own money to the court.
Jennifer Lauren has been ordered to sign on at Shannon Garda Station on Tuesday evening and surrender her passport.
The judge warned that he would have to take account of the nature and extent of the inconvenience to other people, as well as the costs incurred by Delta Air Lines, airport and other passengers.
“These are the issues that will have to be addressed and the court will have to be satisfied before they can be discharged,” he said.
He asked for an assessment on how much the disruption has cost the airline, airport and passengers before dealing with Lauren’s plea at the hearing on Wednesday.
The pub was packed for the day’s court sittings, with the bar area cordoned off with wire mesh.
A representative from the US Embassy in Ireland also met Jennifer Lauren at the police station on Monday and appeared in the temporary court to support her.
Jennifer Lauren left the premises in a black 4×4 and covered her face as she ducked past photographers into the vehicle.
The case is due to be heard again on Wednesday at Ennis District Court where sentencing will be decided on a guilty plea from Jennifer Lauren.
Following a settlement with US prosecutors, JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $1.7 billion to victims of the Bernard Madoff fraud.
The settlement comes after Federal prosecutors accused the bank of ignoring red flags about Bernard Madoff’s crimes.
“We recognize we could have done a better job,” said JPMorgan spokesperson Jennifer Zuccarelli.
The bank has agreed to improve its controls as part of the settlement.
While JPMorgan acknowledged failures in its protections against money laundering, the settlement includes a so-called deferred prosecution agreement that allows it to avoid criminal charges.
No individual executives were accused of wrongdoing.
JPMorgan was Bernard Madoff’s primary bank in the later years of a fraud that lasted for decades.
JP Morgan had a relationship with Bernard Madoff dating back to 1986
The bank had a relationship with Bernard Madoff dating back to 1986, according to documents released by the US Attorney’s office.
It ended in 2008 when Bernard Madoff revealed to the FBI that his investment advisory business was a Ponzi scheme.
According to the complaint, Bernard Madoff’s account – account 703 – received deposits and transfers totaling $150 billion over the period from 1986 until the fraud was discovered in 2008, almost exclusively from Madoff Securities.
JPMorgan employees began raising red flags about the account from the late 1990s up until 2008, but no action was taken to alert US regulators.
Bernard Madoff, 75, pleaded guilty to the fraud and is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence in the US.
Over the past year, JPMorgan has paid close to $20 billion in settlements with regulators for various violations relating to the US financial crisis, the so-called “London whale” trading loss, and manipulating the London inter-bank offered rate, or LIBOR.
JPMorgan boss Jaime Dimon has taken a proactive stance in ridding the bank of various investigations into its practices over the past year.
In his annual letter to shareholders from April 2013, Jaime Dimon wrote: “I feel terrible that we let our regulators down.”
The bank is still facing scrutiny from US regulators over its hiring policies in China.
Shares in JPMorgan fell slightly on news of the settlement.
Samsung has unveiled the Bendable TV, an 85 in (216 cm) prototype that allows the curvature of its screen to be adjusted by remote control.
The LED (light-emitting diode) set was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
LG has also announced a smaller 77 in (196 cm) flexible TV of its own that is based on OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology.
The firms suggest that a curved screen can enhance the viewing experience.
The tech would allow the sets’ owners to determine how bent the screens should be taking into account how many people were watching them and how far away they were sitting. The screens would have the added benefit of being able to be left flat against the wall when not in use.
LG’s model will go on view when its show floor booth opens to attendees on Tuesday.
However, industry watchers are unconvinced there is a market for such innovation.
Samsung has unveiled the Bendable TV at CES 2014
“The challenge for the firms is to demonstrate that the world really needs this,” said Martin Garner, a TV tech consultant from CCS Insight who is attending CES.
“They are, however, a nice attempt at differentiation.”
Neither of the two South Korean manufacturers have given a projected price or release date for the user-bendable TVs.
They both, however, offer versions with a fixed curvature.
The two companies are showing off new giant-sized 105 in (267 cm) concave-screened versions in the extra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio.
Samsung said such a design delivered the “most immersive viewing experience” possible.
However, a demonstration of the equipment went awry when it invited Michael Bay, director of the Transformers movies, on stage at its press conference.
Joe Stinziano, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics, told the crowd: “Welcome to Vegas, it’s a live show folks.”
Michael Bay later wrote a blog giving his take on the mishap.
“Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES,” he wrote.
“I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost.
“Then the prompter went up and down – then I walked off. I guess live shows aren’t my thing.”
