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Michael Schumacher accident UPDATE: F1 champion fighting for his life in Grenoble hospital

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Schumacher accident UPDATE: F1 champion fighting for his life in Grenoble hospital

Michael Schumacher is “fighting for his life” after the ski accident in the French Alps, his doctors say.

The F1 champion remains in a critical condition in hospital in Grenoble with head injuries suffered on Sunday morning at the resort of Meribel.

“We cannot tell you what the outcome will be yet,” the team treating him told a news conference on Monday morning.

Michael Schumacher underwent surgery on arrival at the University Hospital in Grenoble.

He remains in a coma and the medical team treating him said that they are working “hour by hour”.

“All we can do is wait,” the doctors added.

Michael Schumacher is "fighting for his life" after the ski accident in the French Alps
Michael Schumacher is “fighting for his life” after the ski accident in the French Alps

Prof. Jean-Francois Payen told reporters that if Michael Schumacher had not been wearing a protective helmet “he wouldn’t be here now”.

“We had to operate urgently to release some pressure in his head,” the anaesthetist said.

Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said that a post-operative scan had shown “diffuse haemorrhagic lesions” on both sides of Schumacher’s brain.

The doctors refused to comment on his prognosis.

The 44-year-old German was skiing off-piste with his teenage son when he fell and hit his head on a rock.

Following the accident, Michael Schumacher was evacuated to the hospital in the nearby town of Moutiers.

Prof. Stephan Chabardes said the driver was in an “agitated condition” on arrival in Moutiers and his neurological condition “deteriorated rapidly”.

He was taken from Moutiers to the larger facility in Grenoble.

Michael Schumacher is being kept in a coma at a low temperature to facilitate his recovery, Prof. Jean-Francois Payen said.

The medical team said that Michael Schumacher’s relative youth and the fact that he was operated on without delay count in his favor.

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Volgograd attacks: IOC confident Russia will deliver safe and secure Winter Games in Sochi

Clyde K. Valle
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Volgograd attacks: IOC confident Russia will deliver safe and secure Winter Games in Sochi

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach says he has confidence that Russian authorities will deliver a “safe and secure” Winter Games in Sochi in February 2014.

Thomas Bach wrote to President Vladimir Putin to express condolences for the “despicable” attacks that struck Volgograd within 24 hours.

Investigators say the attacks on a railway station and trolleybus, which killed at least 31 people, were linked.

They struck just over a month before the Winter Olympics begin.

Volgograd was also targeted in October, when a suspected female suicide bomber killed six people in an attack on a bus.

It is being widely assumed in Russia that the people who carried out the Volgograd bombings were involved in the Islamist-inspired insurgency against Russian rule in the Caucasus republics of Chechnya and Dagestan, and that the target was the Games.

In a statement, Russia’s foreign ministry did not blame any particular group but likened the attacks to acts by militants in the US, Syria and elsewhere.

It called for international solidarity in the fight against “an insidious enemy that can only be defeated together”, reported Reuters news agency.

The second blast in Volgograd took place at a busy time on a busy route
The second blast in Volgograd took place at a busy time on a busy route

Regional Governor Sergei Bozhenov said the bombings were a “serious test” for all Volgograd residents and all Russians.

Investigators say at least 14 people were killed in a suicide bombing on a trolleybus in Volgograd on Monday morning.

It came a day after 17 people died in another suicide attack at the central station in the city. Scores were injured in the two attacks.

In his statement, Thomas Bach said he was “certain that everything will be done to ensure the security of the athletes and all the participants of the Olympic Games”, which open on February 7.

But correspondents say despite intense security in Sochi, Russians are palpably nervous that following these attacks in Volgograd – which lies 700 km north-east of Sochi – bombers could also strike elsewhere.

No-one has admitted carrying out either bombing, but they came several months after Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov threatened new attacks against civilian targets in Russia, including the Olympics.

Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Investigative Committee – Russia’s main federal investigating authority – said identical explosives were used in the two attacks.

“This confirms the theory that the two attacks are linked. It is possible that they were prepared in the same place,” he said.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered security measures to be tightened across Russia and in particular in Volgograd.

The US condemned the attacks and offered its “full support to the Russian government in security preparations for the Sochi Olympic Games”.

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Mikhail Khodorkovsky granted three-month Swiss visa

Nancy Clayson
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Mikhail Khodorkovsky granted three-month Swiss visa

Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was recently freed after 10 years in jail, has been granted with a three-month Swiss visa.

“The visa allows a three-month stay in the Schengen area,” the Swiss embassy in Berlin said, referring to the 26-nation free-travel zone in Europe.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been staying in a German hotel following his release earlier this month.

His family lives in Switzerland and he has business there.

At the time of his arrest more than 10 years ago, Mikhail Khodorkovsky was Russia’s richest man, and he used some of his wealth to fund opposition parties.

He was found guilty of fraud and tax evasion, and has always insisted that his conviction was politically motivated.

Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was recently freed after 10 years in jail
Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was recently freed after 10 years in jail

Since being freed on December 20, and immediately flying to Germany, Mikhail Khodorkovsky has vowed to stay out of Russia.

But his spokesman admitted last week that he was considering a possible move to Switzerland, because that is where his wife Inna lives and his twin sons go to school.

A spokesman for Mikhail Khodorkovsky said: “He is very grateful to the Swiss authorities for the speed and efficiency with which they have dealt with his visa application.”

Mikhail Khodorkovsky had been due to be released next August, but requested a pardon because his mother is suffering from cancer.

Duck Dynasty book sales rise following Phil Robertson controversy

Sonia Pantiss
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Duck Dynasty book sales rise following Phil Robertson controversy

Duck Dynasty books written by four members of the A&E reality show’s Robertson family have continued to rise in sales during the holiday season despite the recent controversy surrounding Phil Robertson.

According to a book poll from USA Today, Phil Robertson’s memoir Happy Happy Happy jumped from No. 56 to No. 46 last week, making its way into the media outlet’s “Top 50” bestselling titles of the week ending on December 22. Additionally, Miss Kay’s cookbook, Miss Kay’s Duck Commander Kitchen, jumped from No. 30 to No. 19, while Pastor Alan Robertson’s The Duck Commander Devotional now sits at No. 23, up from No. 35 and Uncle Si Robertson’s Si-cology at No. 28 from No. 33.

Phil Robertson's memoir Happy Happy Happy jumped from No 56 to No 46 following controversy surrounding him
Phil Robertson’s memoir Happy Happy Happy jumped from No 56 to No 46 following controversy surrounding him

In addition to heightened book sales, Billboard reported last week that Robertson family’s Christmas album, Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas, was on track to sell 125,000 copies in the week ending on December 22. The album, which features cameos from famous country musicians like George Strait, has sold a total of 575,000 copies since it was released in late October.

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Prince William returns to university to study agricultural management

Nancy Clayson
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Prince William returns to university to study agricultural management

Prince William is to become a full-time student of agricultural management at Cambridge University from next week, Kensington Palace has announced.

The Duke of Cambridge will learn about issues facing the UK’s rural communities and farming industry during the 10-week bespoke course.

The studies are expected to give him a foundation for when he takes over the Duchy of Cornwall from Prince Charles.

It is thought the duke will live in Cambridge for part of the time.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said Prince William was “very much looking forward” to the course, which runs until mid-March.

Prince William is to become a full-time student of agricultural management at Cambridge University
Prince William is to become a full-time student of agricultural management at Cambridge University

The course is run by the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership (CPSL), an institution within Cambridge University’s School of Technology, which has Prince William’s father, Prince Charles, as its patron.

The Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The executive education programme of seminars, lectures and meetings will draw on the strengths of academics across the university.

“The course has been designed to help provide the duke with an understanding of contemporary issues affecting agricultural business and rural communities in the UK.”

The Duchy of Cornwall is a portfolio of land, property and investments which Prince William will inherit from his father when Prince Charles becomes king.

The duke, who is second-in-line to the throne, will have 18 to 20 hours of lectures, seminars and meetings a week, as well as essays to complete and field trips to attend.

The cost of the course is being met privately.

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.

Piranha attack leaves 70 people badly injured in Argentina

Nancy Clayson
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Piranha attack leaves 70 people badly injured in Argentina

About 70 people were injured in Argentina on Christmas Day, when a swarm of carnivorous fish attacked at a beach near the city of Rosario, on the Parana River.

Argentina state-run Telam news agency described the fish as a relative of the piranha.

No one was killed, but swimmers suffered various injuries, including a 7-year-old girl who lost a part of one of her pinky fingers, Telam reported.

About 70 people were injured in Argentina on Christmas Day, when a swarm of carnivorous fish attacked at a beach near the city of Rosario, on the Parana River
About 70 people were injured in Argentina on Christmas Day, when a swarm of carnivorous fish attacked at a beach near the city of Rosario, on the Parana River

Ricardo Biasatti, sub secretary of Natural Resources for the province of Santa Fe, described the incident to the agency as “isolated and insignificant,” when the size of the river is taken into consideration.

Julian Aguilar, president of a local fisherman’s group, also downplayed it, saying the likelihood of such an event happening again was low, as attacks by this type of fish on humans are “occasional.”

The area is a popular swimming spot this time of year in Argentina, where it is summer.

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Bruce Springsteen’s new album High Hopes appears online ahead of release date

Sonia Pantiss
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Bruce Springsteen’s new album High Hopes appears online ahead of release date

Bruce Springsteen’s most recent album, High Hopes, has briefly appeared for download on Amazon, two weeks ahead of its scheduled release date.

According to Billboard magazine, High Hopes appeared online for several hours on Saturday.

Although the album was subsequently removed from sale, the record has now appeared on several file-sharing sites.

Bruce Springsteen has described High Hopes as the best of his “unreleased material from the past decade”.

The new album features contributions from Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici – two members of the E Street Band who have died in recent years.

Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes has briefly appeared for download on Amazon, two weeks ahead of its scheduled release date
Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes has briefly appeared for download on Amazon, two weeks ahead of its scheduled release date

Tom Morello, best known for his work with Rage Against The Machine, also joins the line-up for eight tracks, after standing in for regular guitarist Steve Van Zandt on several dates of Bruce Springsteen’s recent Wrecking Ball tour.

The title track is a cover of Tim Scott McConnell’s folk song, which Bruce Springsteen originally recorded for an EP in 1996.

The record also includes re-worked versions of Down In The Hole and The Ghost Of Tom Joad, alongside a cover of punk band Suicide’s Dream Baby Dream.

“The best way to describe this record is that it’s a bit of an anomaly,” Bruce Springsteen recently told Rolling Stone magazine.

Amazon has yet to make a comment on the incident, in which individual songs were available to download via its mobile site.

The tracks have since been removed from sale, and the album’s official release is still listed as January 14.

Bruce Springsteen resumes his world tour in South Africa next month, while the E Street Band are due to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April.

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John Kerry fist bumps with Snoop Dogg at White House

Lisa.Felice
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John Kerry fist bumps with Snoop Dogg at White House

Snoop Dogg fist bumped with Secretary of State John Kerry during a party in early December hosted by the Obama Administration at the White House to honor the 2013 Kennedy Center Honorees.

The rapper took his family for the event at the White House and said: “I’ve got my wife, my daughter and we’re going to have a good time.”

Snoop Dogg fist bumped with Secretary of State John Kerry during a party at the White House
Snoop Dogg fist bumped with Secretary of State John Kerry during a party at the White House

Snoop Dogg also said during a video posted by CBS: “Eastside LBC to DC, my baby boo been with me the whole way through… We at the White House doing it big.”

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The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug tops US box office for third week

Sonia Pantiss
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The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug tops US box office for third week

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug has topped the US box office for a third week despite festive competition from The Wolf Of Wall Street.

The film took $30 million over the weekend, bringing its US total to $190 million.

Disney animation Frozen was at number two, switching places with Will Ferrell’s comedy Anchorman 2 at three.

Martin Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street was the biggest new release, at five.

Marking the director’s fifth collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio, the black comedy is based on stock broker Jordan Belfort’s memoir of the same name.

The film took $19 million after opening at number two on Christmas Day with $9.15 million.

Analysts said it had suffered slightly due to its three-hour length – meaning it cannot be shown as many times in a day as its competitors.

The only other new entry in the top 10 was Keanu Reeves’ samurai film 47 Ronin, which weathered bad reviews to debut at number nine with $9.9 million.

Reuters reported that film company Universal had revised its profit estimates on Christmas Eve after it became apparent the film would not break even.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug has topped the US box office for a third week despite festive competition from The Wolf Of Wall Street
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug has topped the US box office for a third week despite festive competition from The Wolf Of Wall Street

With two days left to go, the North American Box Office is on track to beat last year’s record takings of $10.8 billion, said chart trackers Rentrak.

Rentrack estimated ticket sales would top $10.9 billion by the New Year, boosted by several award-friendly films in the Top 10.

Chief among them is American Hustle, which has already gained seven Golden Globe nominations.

Directed by David O. Russell, American Hustle stars Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, who appeared in his Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook, alongside Amy Adams and Christian Bale, from the similarly-lauded Russell drama The Fighter.

North American box office Top 5:

1. Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – $30 million

2. Frozen – $28.9 million

3. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues – $20.2 million

4. American Hustle – $19.6 million

5. The Wolf Of Wall Street – $19 million

Source: Rentrak

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Akademik Shokalskiy: Rescue efforts thwarted by fierce weather

James J. Williams
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Akademik Shokalskiy: Rescue efforts thwarted by fierce weather

Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy stranded in East Antarctica since Christmas Day remained stuck as the latest rescue efforts were thwarted by fierce winds and poor visibility.

An Australian icebreaker trying to reach the Russian scientific mission ship was forced to turn back.

Earlier attempts by Chinese and French icebreakers to reach the Akademik Shokalskiy were also foiled by the thick ice.

Seventy-four scientists, tourists and crew are on the ship.

The vessel is being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition to follow the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago.

Scientists on board thought the ice was much thicker than usual for this time of year.

Akademik Shokalskiy stranded in East Antarctica since Christmas Day remained stuck as the latest rescue efforts were thwarted by fierce winds and poor visibility
Akademik Shokalskiy stranded in East Antarctica since Christmas Day remained stuck as the latest rescue efforts were thwarted by fierce winds and poor visibility

The Aurora Australis icebreaker had been forced to turn back to clear water and was repositioning to try to find another route towards the Shokalskiy.

In a statement, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said: “The area where the MV Akademik Shokalskiy is beset by ice is currently experiencing winds of up to 30 knots and snow showers.”

“These weather conditions have resulted in poor visibility and made it difficult and unsafe for the Aurora Australis to continue today’s attempt to assist the MV Akademik Shokalskiy.”

Earlier, it was thought that passengers could be winched to safety by a helicopter on board the Chinese icebreaker, which had to abort its rescue mission on Saturday.

However, AMSA spokeswoman Lisa Martin told Reuters news agency: “We can’t fly a helicopter in these conditions either. There is essentially nothing we can do at this point of time.”

The Aurora Australis would have to wait for the weather to improve before making a second rescue attempt, she added.

Despite being trapped, the scientists on board have continued their experiments, measuring temperature and salinity through cracks in the surrounding ice.

Akademik Shokalskiy was trapped on Christmas Day by thick sheets of ice, driven by strong winds, about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart – the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania.

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Volgograd attacks: Second suicide bombing kills at least 10 people in Dzerzhinsky district

Roy Siemens
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Volgograd attacks: Second suicide bombing kills at least 10 people in Dzerzhinsky district

At least 10 people are killed and more than 20 others hurt in a suspected suicide bombing in the Russian city of Volgograd, in what officials say is the second suicide attack there in less than two days.

The blast comes in less than 24 hours after 17 people died in another suicide attack at the central station in the city.

Security has been tightened at railway stations and airports across Russia.

Moscow is concerned militant groups could be ramping up violence in the run-up to the 2014 winter Olympic Games in the city of Sochi.

The Olympic venue is close to Russia’s volatile north Caucasus region.

Volgograd lies about 900 km south of Moscow, 650 km north of the North Caucasus and 700 km north-east of Sochi.

The latest explosion took place near a busy market in the city’s Dzerzhinsky district.

The latest explosion in Volgograd took place near a busy market in the city's Dzerzhinsky district
The latest explosion in Volgograd took place near a busy market in the city’s Dzerzhinsky district

Maksim Akhmetov, a Russian TV reporter who was at the scene of the blast, said the trolleybus was packed with people going to work in the morning rush hour.

He described the scene as “terrible”, adding that the bus was “ravaged” and that there were “bodies everywhere, blood on the snow”.

The explosion removed much of the bus’s exterior and broke windows in nearby buildings.

The figures given for the number of dead and injured are still fluctuating – and a one-year-old child is said to be among the victims.

A spokesman for Russia’s Investigative Committee said both explosions were now being treated as acts of terrorism.

Sunday’s blast rocked Volgograd-1 station at around 12:45 at a time of year when millions of Russians are travelling to celebrate the New Year.

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Michael Schumacher in critical condition after skiing accident

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Schumacher in critical condition after skiing accident

Michael Schumacher is in a critical condition after a skiing accident in Meribel, says the French hospital treating him.

Michael Schumacher, 44, suffered serious brain trauma, was in a coma on arrival and underwent a brain operation.

He was skiing off-piste with his son in the French Alps on Sunday when the accident occurred.

Michael Schumacher was wearing a helmet when he fell and hit his head against a rock, his manager Sabine Kehm said.

Early reports had said his condition was not life-threatening and he reportedly walked away from the accident complaining only of feeling a bit shaken.

The accident took place in the French ski resort of Meribel on Sunday morning.

The resort’s director, Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte, said Schumacher was attended to by two ski patrollers who requested helicopter evacuation to the nearby valley town of Moutiers.

Michael Schumacher is in a critical condition after a skiing accident in Meribel
Michael Schumacher is in a critical condition after a skiing accident in Meribel

The seven-time Formula 1 champion was subsequently moved to the bigger facility at Grenoble, in south-east France. His wife Corinna and two children are with him.

“Mr. Schumacher was admitted to the University Hospital of Grenoble at 12:40, following a skiing accident which occurred in Meribel in the late morning,” the Grenoble hospital said in a statement.

“He suffered a severe head injury with coma on arrival, which required immediate neurosurgical intervention. He remains in a critical situation.”

The hospital statement was signed by the facility’s neurosurgeon, the professor in charge of its anaesthesia/revival unit, and the hospital’s deputy director, reports said.

A hospital official declined to give more details and said more information would be given out on Monday, said Reuters news agency.

Experts say it is likely that his brain began to swell and the urgent surgery was required to relieve the pressure.

Professor Gerard Saillant, a close ally and friend of Michael Schumacher, and his former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt are at the hospital.

Prof. Gerard Saillant is an expert in brain and spine injury. He oversaw Michael Schumacher’s medical care when the driver broke his leg in the 1999 British GP.

Michael Schumacher, who turns 45 on January 3, retired from F1 for a second time in 2012.

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Saudi prince may be executed for murder

Roy Siemens
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Saudi prince may be executed for murder

A Saudi royal member, who murdered a fellow Saudi, may be executed, a newspaper reported on Sunday, in a rare example of a member of the kingdom’s ruling family facing the death penalty.

The English-language Arab News did not name the prince or his victim, but said a senior member of the family and government, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, had “cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen”.

In a message about the case to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Prince Salman said: “Sharia [Islamic law] shall be applied to all without exception.”

Prince Salman’s message followed a statement from the victim’s father that he was not ready to pardon the killer and he was not happy with the amount offered as blood money.

The families of murder victims are encouraged by authorities to accept blood money instead of insisting on execution.

Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud had cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen
Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud had cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen

The paper quoted Crown Prince Salman’s message as saying: “There is no difference between big and small, rich and poor … Nobody is allowed to interfere with the judiciary’s decision. This is the tradition of this state. We are committed to following the sharia.”

The Arab News is part of a media group chaired by a son of Crown Prince Salman, who is also deputy PM and minister of defense.

The kingdom, which follows a strict version of sharia has been criticized in the West for its high number of executions, inconsistencies in the application of the law, and its use of public beheading to carry out death sentences.

Saudi Arabia had executed at least 47 people as of May 2013, according to Amnesty International’s website, compared to 82 in all of 2011 and a similar number in 2012.

Members of the ruling family are only rarely known to be executed. One of the most prominent cases was Faisal bin Musaid al Saud, who assassinated his uncle, King Faisal, in 1975.

The Saudi royal family is estimated to number several thousand. While members receive monthly stipends, and the most senior princes command great wealth and political power, only a few in the family hold nationally important government posts.

Al-Jazeera journalists held in Egypt

Roy Siemens
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Al-Jazeera journalists held in Egypt

Three journalists working for the Al-Jazeera broadcaster in Cairo have been arrested by Egyptian police.

The Interior Ministry said the journalists had held illegal meetings with the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood was declared a terrorist organization last week.

The military-backed interim government launched a crackdown on the movement following President Mohamed Morsi’s removal from power.

Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members, including its leadership, have been arrested and many put on trial.

The journalists, who work for Al-Jazeera English, are understood to have been detained late on Sunday night.

Three journalists working for the Al-Jazeera broadcaster in Cairo have been arrested by Egyptian police
Three journalists working for the Al-Jazeera broadcaster in Cairo have been arrested by Egyptian police

They are Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, who holds Canadian nationality, Peter Greste, an Australian, and an unnamed cameraman who is said to have been arrested at home.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement that cameras, recordings and other material had been seized from rooms at a hotel in Cairo.

It accused the journalists of broadcasting news that were “damaging to national security”.

Observers say Egypt’s media environment has been highly charged since Mohamed Morsi’s overthrow.

Several Islamist channels were closed down immediately after the military intervention in the summer. Journalists working for them were temporarily detained.

The latest arrests come after fresh deadly clashes between police and Muslim Brotherhood supporters across Egypt.

Three people were killed – in Cairo, southern Minya province and the Nile Delta – during the violence.

Security forces detained some 265 Muslim Brotherhood supporters, officials said.

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Chaparrastique volcano eruption sparks evacuations in El Salvador

Diane A. Wade
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Chaparrastique volcano eruption sparks evacuations in El Salvador

Thousands of people in eastern El Salvador are leaving their homes after the Chaparrastique volcano erupted on Sunday morning.

Residents in the region said they had heard a powerful explosion before the Chaparrastique volcano began spewing hot ash and smoke into the air.

No one has been hurt, say the authorities. Anyone living in a 2 mile radius will be evacuated.

Temporary shelters are being set up in the area.

Thousands of people in eastern El Salvador are leaving their homes after the Chaparrastique volcano erupted
Thousands of people in eastern El Salvador are leaving their homes after the Chaparrastique volcano erupted

Civil protection authorities say that some 5,000 people live in the area, in San Miguel province.

The eruption began at 10:30 local time.

The Salvadoran government says it had been monitoring the situation since December 13, when they detected increased activity inside the volcano.

There are more than 20 volcanoes in the small Central American nation.

At 2,129 metres (7,000 ft) above sea level, Chaparrastique is the third highest volcano in the country.

Chaparrastique spewed lava in 1976 and caused a strong tremor in the area in 2010.

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Composer Wojciech Kilar dies in Katowice at 81

Sonia Pantiss
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Composer Wojciech Kilar dies in Katowice at 81

Wojciech Kilar, who was BAFTA-nominated for his score to Roman Polanski’s Oscar-winning film The Pianist, has died aged 81.

The Polish pianist and composer died in his hometown Katowice following a long illness.

“The power and the message of his music… will stay in my memory forever,” said Jerzy Kornowicz, head of the Association of Polish Composers.

Wojciech Kilar’s work as a film composer included Dracula and Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate.

Wojciech Kilar was BAFTA-nominated for his score to Roman Polanski's Oscar-winning film The Pianist
Wojciech Kilar was BAFTA-nominated for his score to Roman Polanski’s Oscar-winning film The Pianist

Although he cited his first love as writing symphonies and concertos, he won worldwide attention as a film composer, writing scores for more than 130 films and working with celebrity directors such as Jane Campion (Portrait of a Lady) and Francis Ford Coppola.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula won Wojciech Kilar the best score composer award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 1992.

Francis Ford Coppola is understood to have given Wojciech Kilar a free rein to compose the score for Dracula, and it was reported that when the American director later asked Kilar what it took to write music like his, Kilar cryptically replied: “You need to live in Katowice.”

Born in 1932, Wojciech Kilar studied piano and composition in Poland, graduating from the State Higher School of Music, in Katowice, with top honors in 1955.

Inspired by the works of Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and fellow countryman Karol Szymanowski – Wojciech Kilar co-founded the Karol Szymanowski Society in 1977 – his work incorporated Polish folk songs and Catholic church music.

Celebrity Neighbor Survey 2013: Kim Kardashian and Honey Boo Boo voted worst potential neighbors

Lisa.Felice
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Celebrity Neighbor Survey 2013: Kim Kardashian and Honey Boo Boo voted worst potential neighbors

Real estate website Zillow.com has released its results for the seventh annual Celebrity Neighbor Survey.

The new survey showed that 25% of those who voted said they would not want to live next to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

Kim Kardashian and Honey Boo Boo’s family were voted worst potential celebrity neighbors
Kim Kardashian and Honey Boo Boo’s family were voted worst potential celebrity neighbors

Honey Boo-Boo’s family, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and MLB player Alex Rodriguez also made the worst neighbors list.

Kanye West, 36, has previously insisted that Kim Kardashian has a serious influence on pop culture.

France: 75% tax on high income gets approval

Clyde K. Valle
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France: 75% tax on high income gets approval

France’s highest court has approved a 75% tax on high income.

The new tax is one of President Francois Hollande’s signature policies.

The initial proposal to tax individual incomes was ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Council almost exactly one year ago.

But the government modified it to make employers liable for the 75% tax on salaries exceeding 1 million euros ($1.3 million).

France's highest court has approved a 75 percent tax on high earners that is one of President Francois Hollande's signature policies
France’s highest court has approved a 75 percent tax on high earners that is one of President Francois Hollande’s signature policies

The levy will last two years, affecting income earned this year and in 2014.

Football clubs in France went on strike earlier this year over the issue, saying many of France’s clubs are financially fragile and say the plans could spark an exodus of top players who are paid huge salaries.

The Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain has more than 10 players whose pay exceeds 1 million euros, including the Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

There has also been a chorus of protest from businesses and wealthy individuals who have condemned the tax – including actor Gerard Depardieu, who left the country in protest.

Polls suggest a large majority in France back the temporary tax.

Lebanon’s army to receive $3 billion grant from Saudi Arabia

Roy Siemens
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Lebanon’s army to receive $3 billion grant from Saudi Arabia

Lebanon’s army is to receive a $3 billion grant from Saudi Arabia.

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman made the announcement in a televised address after the funeral of a senior Lebanese politician killed in a car bomb attack. He said it would help fight terrorism.

Mohamad Chatah, a Sunni Muslim, was a staunch critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah movement that backs him.

Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah have taken opposite sides in the Syrian conflict.

Mohamad Chatah was killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut
Mohamad Chatah was killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut

“The king of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is offering this generous and appreciated aid of $3 billion to the Lebanese army to strengthen its capabilities,” Michel Sleiman said in his address.

He said it was the largest assistance provided in Lebanon’s history and would be used to buy weapons from France.

French President Francois Hollande said his country would “meet” any demands for weapons from Lebanon during a visit on Sunday to Saudi Arabia aimed at boosting commercial ties with the kingdom.

“I am in touch with President Sleiman… If demands are made to us, we will meet them,” Francois Hollande said.

President Michel Sleiman said the Saudi aid would finally allow the Lebanese army to “confront terrorism” and put an end to the proliferation of arms.

Kris Humphries close to score against his team

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Kris Humphries close to score against his team

Kris Humphries came pretty close to scoring two points for the other team during the Boston Celtics’ matinee matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

In the first quarter with the Celtics trailing 20-18, Kris Humphries got possession of a jump ball in front of his team’s net.

Kris Humphries came pretty close to scoring two points for the other team during the Boston Celtics' matinee matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers
Kris Humphries came pretty close to scoring two points for the other team during the Boston Celtics’ matinee matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Celtics forward then turned toward to hoop, offering a solid pump fake before doing a 180 and passing the ball to Jordan Crawford and heading toward the other end of the floor to play offense.

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Pope Francis named Best Dressed Man of 2013 by Esquire magazine

Lisa.Felice
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Pope Francis named Best Dressed Man of 2013 by Esquire magazine

Pope Francis has been named the best dressed man of 2013 by Esquire magazine.

According to CNN, the magazine admits this is an unconventional decision, but they look to Pope Francis’ simple style decisions as signaling new hope for the Catholic Church.

In the past, Pope Benedict XVI wore elaborate robes and a large golden cross.

Pope Francis has been named the best dressed man of 2013 by Esquire magazine
Pope Francis has been named the best dressed man of 2013 by Esquire magazine

Now, Pope Francis is making a statement with his simple garments and small iron cross.

Instead of fashion, Pope Francis has been trying to focus on the Catholic Church helping the marginalized, the disenfranchised and the poor.

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Ukraine: New protests after brutal attack on journalist Tetyana Chornovol

Diane A. Wade
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Ukraine: New protests after brutal attack on journalist Tetyana Chornovol

Fresh anti-government protests gathered tens of thousands of Ukrainians in Kiev.

Many demonstrators also marched on President Viktor Yanukovych’s official residence outside the capital.

They have been re-energized by a brutal attack on a prominent journalist, Tetyana Chornovol, on Christmas Day.

Tetyana Chornovol had accused Viktor Yanukovych of corruption over his financing of the Mezhygirya residence in an expose.

Viktor Yanukovych denies any allegation of corruption and has called for an investigation into the attack on Tetyana Chornovol.

Protesters made their way to the Mezhygirya residence, some 9 miles away on the banks of the Dnipro river, by bike, car and minibus, where they carried a coffin to symbolize what they hope is the end of his political life, AFP reported.

Ukrainian protesters have been re-energized by a brutal attack on journalist Tetyana Chornovol on Christmas Day
Ukrainian protesters have been re-energized by a brutal attack on journalist Tetyana Chornovol on Christmas Day

Demonstrators first took to the streets in late November, angered by President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to abandon an association agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia.

Protesters continue to occupy the central Independence Square and have refortified barricades to ward off attempts by police to clear the camp – though such attempts now appear to have been abandoned.

But on Sunday, more protesters returned to the streets of Kiev, many angered by the attack on Tetyana Chornovol, who says her car was run off the road before she was taken out and beaten by men.

Pictures have been circulated of her bloodied and swollen face following the beating.

Local news agencies say five men have been placed under arrest but no motive has been put forward.

Tetyana Chornovol, 34, says her assailants followed her in a “black luxury” SUV after she had been taking pictures of the residences of senior administration figures.

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Volgograd railway station bomb attack kills 15 people

Roy Siemens
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Volgograd railway station bomb attack kills 15 people

A female suicide bomb attack on Volgograd’s train station has killed 15 people, Russian officials say.

Another suspected female suicide bomber killed at least six people when she attacked a bus in the city in October.

Moscow is concerned militant groups could be ramping up violence in the run up to the 2014 winter Olympic Games in Sochi in February.

An Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus region has led to many attacks there in recent years. Insurgents have also attacked big Russian towns.

Volgograd lies about 900 km south of Moscow, 650 km north of the North Caucasus and 700 km north-east of Sochi.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered law enforcement agencies to take “all necessary security measures” in the bomb’s aftermath, said a Kremlin spokesman.

Vladimir Putin has ordered the most gravely injured victims to be flown to Moscow for treatment.

Security would be stepped up at train stations and airports, said a federal police spokesman.

Sunday’s explosion rocked Volgograd-1 station at around 12:45 at a time when millions of Russians are travelling to celebrate the New Year.

The bomb contained 10 kg (22 lbs) of TNT, was rigged with shrapnel and was detonated near the metal detectors at the station entrance, said a spokesman for the Investigative Committee.

“According to our information the explosion was carried out by a female suicide bomber who approached a metal detector, saw a policeman there, got nervous and detonated the bomb stuffed with pieces of shrapnel,” said the spokesman, Vladimir Markin.

A nearby security camera facing Volgograd’s train station caught the moment of the blast
A nearby security camera facing Volgograd’s train station caught the moment of the blast

He said the security presence had prevented a much higher death toll at the station, which was packed at the time of the blast as several trains were delayed.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast, which Vladimir Markin said injured 34 people – eight critically – including a nine-year-old girl whose mother was killed in the attack.

RIA Novosti news agency said security sources were naming the attacker as Oksana Aslanova. She has reportedly been married twice to militants and is also suspected of being a friend of Naida Asiyalova, the suicide bomber who targeted the Volgograd bus in October.

However, the Interfax news agency said the suspect’s head had been found at the site – and, according to an unidentified security source, “it has been established that the suicide terrorist was a man who had brought explosives to the station in a rucksack”.

A nearby security camera facing the station caught the moment of the blast, showing a bright orange flash behind the station’s main doors.

The explosion shattered windows and sent debris and plumes of smoke from the station entrance.

Ambulances rushed the injured to hospital, while motionless bodies were laid out in the station forecourt.

The incident was being treated as an act of terrorism, Vladimir Markin said.

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Michael Schumacher skiing accident in Meribel

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Schumacher skiing accident in Meribel

Michael Schumacher has suffered a head injury while skiing in Meribel, France.

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who retired from F1 for a second time in 2012, was taken by helicopter to hospital in Moutiers before being moved to Grenoble.

Michael Schumacher, 44, is still undergoing tests in hospital where he is being comforted by his wife and three of his children.

Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte, director of the Meribel resort where Michael Schumacher suffered his injury, said: “He was a little shaken but conscious” after crashing.

Speaking to Radio Monte Carlo Sport, Gernignon-Lecomte added: “He was wearing a helmet and banged [his head] against a rock.”

Michael Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son and others in an off-piste area between two marked runs above Meribel when he fell on Sunday morning.

Michael Schumacher has suffered a head injury while skiing in Meribel,
Michael Schumacher has suffered a head injury while skiing in Meribel,

He was attended to by two ski patrollers who requested helicopter evacuation to the nearby valley town of Moutiers, before he was subsequently moved to a bigger facility at Grenoble.

The German is receiving the attention of Professor Gerard Saillant, a close ally and friend of Schumacher and his former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt.

Prof. Gerard Saillant is an expert in brain and spine injury. He oversaw Michael Schumacher’s medical care when the German broke his leg in the 1999 British GP.

Michael Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said in a statement: “We ask for understanding that we cannot give out continuous information about his health.

“He was wearing a helmet and was not alone. No one else was involved in the fall.”

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Phil Robertson reinstated: How Mail The Duck campaign helped Duck Dynasty star

Sonia Pantiss
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Phil Robertson reinstated: How Mail The Duck campaign helped Duck Dynasty star

Duck Dynasty and Phil Robertson’s supporters have found a new way to duck the halls this holiday season.

The Mail The Duck campaign is sending A&E thousands of tiny yellow rubber ducks to show their support for Phil Robertson.

Conservative Christians are showing solidarity with embattled ‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson by sending thousands of tiny rubber ducks to A&E’s New York offices.

The first cardboard box jammed with 1,500 ducks will be sent to the channel’s CEO Nancy Dubuc, according to Janet Porter, the founder of the conservative group Faith2Action.

Janet Porter said she was looking for a “tangible” way to show A&E that thousands of people support Phil Robertson’s views on homos**uality.

Phil Robertson’s fans planned to mail A&E CEO Nancy Dubuc thousands of yellow rubber ducks
Phil Robertson’s fans planned to mail A&E CEO Nancy Dubuc thousands of yellow rubber ducks

Rick Scarborough, president of the partner organization Vision America, came up with idea to organize a “Mail The Duck” campaign. The goal is to fight back against a “homos**ual agenda” that conservatives believe is “steamrolling” over their rights to freedom of religion and free speech.

Janet Porter, president of Faith2Action, said she plans to send the ducks in several batches. She’s already gotten at least 1,500 requests.

The campaign was launched on December 23 and Janet Porter says she’s already gotten thousands of requests to sponsor ducks and send free postcards.

Each duck sets supporters back $7. The squeaky creatures will be labeled with a sponsor’s name, city, and state, along with the message: “We cry fowl-Reinstate Phil!”

Phil Robertson, 67, was suspended from Duck Dynasty show after making anti-gay remarks during an interview with GQ magazine.

A&E Networks decided to reinstate Phil Robertson after a week of controversy.

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