Duck Dynasty‘s stars revealed they are no fans of gun control, but there’s another kind of control they think the nation could use.
“It ain’t gun control we need; it’s sin control,” Si Robertson told Men’s Journal magazine in a group interview.
His brother, Phil Robertson, has another kind of control in mind.
“Self-control,” he added.
The bearded bayou clan’s show has been a hit, and they’re not afraid to speak out about their feelings on religion and politics, though the show plays those down.
“We’re trying to infuse a little good into a culture in which gentleness, patience, kindness, self-control, love, joy and peace have become abnormal,” Phil Robertson told the magazine.
“I go out into America and I am literally navigating a minefield. Godliness has become abnormal.”
Duck Dynasty‘s stars revealed they are no fans of gun control, but there’s another kind of control they think the nation could use
Duck Dynasty show has brought Robertson family big bucks – the magazine reports they’re rumored to earn $200,000 each per episode – but they claim it hasn’t changed them.
“This place is probably worth $100,000,” Phil Robertson told the magazine about his Louisiana home.
“But I consider it a mansion.”
Duck Dynasty stars admit they’re not perfect. Si Robertson was drafted during the Vietnam War and remembers those days as especially rebellious.
“I kept a fifth of whiskey in my pocket everywhere I went,” he told Men’s Journal.
“I tried dope one time, OK, like marijuana, but why would you smoke something that makes you feel 100 years old? So, drugs wasn’t it for me. In my mind, it was alcohol and whoring around.”
Miss Kay Robertson was just 16 and pregnant when they wed in 1966, but even the fans who want him to sign their panties can’t sway him from her side.
“They walk up with a pair of little bitty, bitty bikini underwear and say, <<Will you sign these?>>” Phil Robertson said.
“Well, my first question is, <<Are they clean?>>. But, see, as I move forward on my travels, I make sure I take two things with me, my Bible and my woman, Miss Kay. You see what I’m saying? I’ve put my heathen days behind me. I’m not going down that path again.”
Madonna was the top earner on Forbes’ recent Celebrity 100 list, raking in $125 million, but Michael Jackson easily topped her though, earning $160 million over the past year.
It’s the third time in the past five years that the top-earning celebrity in the world has come from the graveyard.
Much of Michael Jackson’s money comes from two Cirque du Soleil shows. Immortal, a touring show, has grossed over $300 million since opening last year. One, which opened at the Mandalay Bay in May, is routinely sold out. Both shows feature the usual Cirque du Soleil acrobatics but One comes with a bonus: a hologram-like illusion of Michael Jackson performs Man in the Mirror at the end of the show.
Michael Jackson also still earns from his music and his half of the Sony/ATV catalog, which includes hits by The Beatles, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift among others.
The King of Pop reclaims the No. 1 spot on Forbes magazine’s list from his friend Elizabeth Taylor.
Elizabeth Taylor, who passed away in 2011, earned an estimated $210 million in the 12 months to October 2012 thanks to a series of lucrative auctions at Christie’s of Taylor’s art, jewels and clothes. This year her earnings dropped to an estimated $25 million, landing her in fourth place.
Over the past 12 months, Elizabeth Taylor’s estate earned big bucks from her White Diamonds perfume, which in 2012 brought in $53 million in retail in the U.S. alone, according to Euromonitor International, her rights in old movies and her smart stock and real estate investments. Elizabeth Taylor’s estate, now represented by Hollywood talent agency UTA, is at work on several licensing deals. Expect to see Elizabeth Taylor’s name on high-end clothing and cosmetics in the near future.
Michael Jackson tops Forbes’ Top-Earning Dead Celebrities 2013
Forbes magazine’s list looks at earnings between October 2012 and October 2013. The magazine count money coming into the estate and it doesn’t deduct for how the estate handles it. To come up with its estimates Forbes talks to estate managers, licensors and lawyers involved in the dead celebrity business.
Ranking second on our list is Elvis Presley with an estimated $55 million in posthumous earnings. Elvis Presley may have taken a back seat to Michael Jackson, but his estate is still earning steadily thanks to his eternally popular image and his famous home, Graceland. That was enough to convince billionaire Leon Black and his firm, Apollo Global Management, to buy CKX, the parent company of American Idol and the estates of both Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali, for $509 million in 2011.
Angela Merkel has called President Barack Obama after receiving information that the US may have spied on her mobile phone.
A spokesman for Angela Merkel said the German Chancellor “views such practices… as completely unacceptable”.
Angela Merkel has called on US officials to clarify the extent of their surveillance in Germany.
The White House said President Barack Obama had told Chancellor Merkel the US was not snooping on her communications.
“The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of the chancellor,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Angela Merkel has called President Barack Obama after receiving information that the US may have spied on her mobile phone
Jay Carney told reporters that Washington was examining concerns from Germany as well as France and other American allies over US intelligence practices.
The call comes a day after US intelligence chief James Clapper denied reports that American spies had recorded data from 70 million phone calls in France in a single 30-day period.
James Clapper said a report in Le Monde newspaper contained “misleading information”.
The German government would not elaborate over how it gained its information about alleged US spying on its leader’s communications.
German news magazine Der Spiegel, which has published stories based on material from NSA leaker Edward Snowden, said the information had come from its investigations.
Berlin demanded “an immediate and comprehensive explanation” from Washington about what it said “would be a serious breach of trust”.
“Among close friends and partners, as the Federal Republic of Germany and the US have been for decades, there should be no such monitoring of the communications of a head of government,” the statement.
The statement said that Angela Merkel had told Barack Obama: “Such practices must be prevented immediately.”
The US has also seen other allies angry over spying concerns.
Piracy charges against 30 Greenpeace activists will be replaced with hooliganism charges, according to Russian officials.
The new charge has a maximum penalty of seven years rather than 15, Russian news website Lenta reports.
The Arctic Sunrise ship was seized more than four weeks ago by Russian security forces after activists tried to scale an offshore oil platform.
All 30 people on board – including two freelance journalists – were detained.
So far all bail applications in the case have been refused.
Vladimir Markin, the head of Russia’s main investigating agency the Investigative Committee, told Russian news agencies that the charges had been reclassified.
Piracy charges against 30 Greenpeace activists will be replaced with hooliganism charges
Last week, 11 Nobel prize-winners wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to drop the charges of piracy.
The presidential press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said the president had no power to influence the courts.
Vladimir Putin said last month that the activists had violated international law but it was “absolutely evident that they are, of course, not pirates”.
Greenpeace Russian programme director, Ivan Blokov, told Russia’s Interfax news agency that there was no case for either piracy or hooliganism charges.
“There are no signs of hooliganism – no violence, no threat of using violence or any damage to property,” he said.
Ivan Blokov added that he was surprised the Russian government had earlier refused to attend international court hearings in Germany over the detentions.
The Netherlands took the case of the Dutch-flagged ship and its crew to the UN tribunal in Hamburg on Monday.
The Russian foreign ministry released a statement pointing out that Moscow had opted out of UN Law of the Sea dispute procedures, which infringe upon sovereignty, in 1997.
All 30 people on board the ship, including 28 activists, have been in custody in the northern port city of Murmansk and complain of being held in harsh conditions,
They were detained when Russian security sources stormed the ship following a protest against drilling for oil in the Arctic.
Greenpeace denies any wrongdoing and is calling for the release of the detainees, who come from 18 countries, and their ship, the Arctic Sunrise.
Silvio Berlusconi has been ordered to stand trial for the alleged bribery of Senator Sergio De Gregorio.
Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is accused of paying left-wing Senator Sergio De Gregorio 3 million euros ($3.9 million) to defect to his right-wing People of Freedom party (PDL) in 2006 and help bring down the government.
Silvio Berlusconi has been ordered to stand trial for the alleged bribery of Senator Sergio De Gregorio
Senator Sergio De Gregorio was sentenced in an earlier plea bargain.
Silvio Berlusconi has been embroiled in a number of trials and says he is the victim of a campaign by the judiciary.
Vatican has decided to suspend Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst – dubbed the “bishop of bling” by the media – over his alleged lavish spending.
The senior German Church leader is accused of spending more than 31 million euros ($42 million) on renovating his official residence.
The Vatican said it deemed “appropriate… a period of leave from the diocese” for the bishop.
The suspension comes two days after he met the Pope to discuss the matter.
“A situation has been created in which the bishop can no longer exercise his episcopal duties,” a Vatican statement said.
It said a Church commission would rule on the matter, but did not say where Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, 53, would go or what he would do while the inquiry was held.
The head of Germany’s main lay Catholic group, the Central Committee of German Catholics, Alois Glueck, welcomed the Vatican’s decision.
Vatican has decided to suspend Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst over his alleged lavish spending
He said: “Pope Francis’s decision offers the chance of a first step toward a new beginning in the Limburg diocese, because the situation has become an increasing burden for the faithful there, and in all of Germany, over recent weeks.”
Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst – and his spending habits – had become infamous in Germany, where many people pay Church tax to the state. The tax raised 5.2 billion euros for Catholics and 4.6 billion euros for Protestants in 2012.
Calls were made for the bishop to resign after he was accused of lying under oath about his spending.
The bishop was criticized for a first-class flight to India to visit the poor.
But his official residence is at the heart of the criticism, after renovations were originally costed at 5.5 million euros.
German media are reporting that the residence was fitted with a bath that cost 15,000 euros, a conference table for 25,000 euros and a private chapel that cost 2.9 million euros.
The story has attracted heavy coverage and has stoked controversy among Catholics.
It was in Germany that Martin Luther launched the Reformation five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the Church.
All this was bound to play badly with the new Pope, who has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of senior clerics whose lifestyles seem a little too lavish.
Pope Francis has also signaled his intention to clean up the Vatican’s finances, appointing a commission to advise him on reforms.
There is no surprise in Rome that the Vatican has ordered the bishop’s suspension from his duties while the spending row is investigated, our correspondent adds.
Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is the daughter of a Protestant pastor, said that she had expressed “hope that there will be an answer for believers, for people’s confidence in their Church”.
In Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst’s absence, the bishop’s diocese will be administered by Limburg’s vicar general, Wolfgang Roesch.
Prince George’s christening has started at the Chapel Royal in London.
Prince George, who is third in line to the British throne, is being baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The christening has been announced as a private event, with only senior royals, four members of the Middleton family, the seven godparents and their spouses invited.
Prince George, son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, was born in London on July 22nd.
The ceremony is expected to last about 45 minutes, after which Prince Charles will host a tea at Clarence House.
Prince George’s godparents, announced earlier, are Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, William van Cutsem and Zara Tindall.
Prince George’s christening has started at the Chapel Royal in London
Zara Phillips, wife of former England rugby player Mike Tindall, is Prince William’s cousin, while the other six godparents are all friends of the royal couple.
Prince George is being baptized in a replica of the lace and satin christening gown made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal, in 1841.
Prince William and Kate Middleton chose two hymns, two lessons and two anthems for the christening.
The hymns are Breathe on Me, Breath of God and Be Thou My Vision.
Lessons from St Luke and St John will be read by Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry, and the anthems are Blessed Jesu! Here we Stand and the Lord Bless You and Keep You.
After the ceremony, celebrity photographer Jason Bell will take a picture of Queen Elizabeth and Princes Charles, William and George together.
The photo will echo a 1894 picture from the christening of the future Edward VIII, showing him with his father, grandfather and great-grandmother – George V, Edward VII and Queen Victoria.
Intelligence chief James Clapper has denied reports that US spies recorded data from 70 million phone calls in France in a single 30-day period.
Director of US National Intelligence James Clapper said the report in French newspaper Le Monde contained “misleading information”.
In a separate story, Le Monde said the US bugged French diplomats and used the information to sway a key UN vote.
Both reports were based on leaks from former NSA employee Edward Snowden.
“Recent articles published in the French newspaper Le Monde contain inaccurate and misleading information regarding US foreign intelligence activities,” James Clapper said in a statement released on Tuesday.
“The allegation that the National Security Agency collected more than 70 million <<recordings of French citizens’ telephone data>> is false.”
James Clapper said he would not discuss details of surveillance activities, but acknowledged “the United States gathers intelligence of the type gathered by all nations”.
His statement did not mention the second set of allegations about the NSA programmes that allegedly monitored French diplomats in Washington and at the UN.
Director of US National Intelligence James Clapper disputes Le Monde allegations NSA collected 70 million recordings of French citizens’ telephone data
The paper laid out how US spies used computer bugs and phone-tapping techniques to monitor French diplomats at the UN and in Washington.
German magazine Der Spiegel had previously reported the monitoring of French diplomats, and the Washington Post had revealed the existence of a global cyber-spying programme called Genie.
But Le Monde‘s story gives details of how US agents used the intelligence, apparently gathered from French diplomats under the Genie programme.
The newspaper quotes a document issued by a directorate of the NSA as stating that the data helped the US sway a Security Council vote on a resolution imposing new sanctions on Iran on 9 June 2010.
The US had apparently feared losing the vote, and needed French support.
The document quotes America’s former UN envoy Susan Rice as saying the NSA’s information helped the US “keep one step ahead in the negotiations”.
On Monday, Le Monde alleged that the NSA spied on 70.3 million phone calls in France between December 10, 2012, and January 8, 2013.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he had asked for a full explanation of those claims from US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Laurent Fabius told reporters he had reiterated the view of France that “this kind of spying conducted on a large scale by the Americans on its allies is something that is unacceptable”.
However, French officials played down the possibility of any reprisals.
Government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said: “We have to have a respectful relationship between partners, between allies. Our confidence in that has been hit but it is after all a very close, individual relationship that we have.”
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem was speaking before Le Monde‘s allegations about the UN vote were published.
Information leaked by Edward Snowden has led to claims of systematic spying by the NSA and CIA on a global scale.
Targets included rivals like China and Russia, as well as allies like the EU and Brazil.
Australia plans to raise the country’s debt limit by two-thirds to allay concerns it could face a future fiscal crisis.
The newly-elected conservative government is looking to raise the borrowing limit to A$500 billion ($486 billion).
Australia is forecast to reach its current A$300 billion ceiling in December.
Treasurer Joe Hockey said that he wanted to avoid a crisis similar to the recent US fiscal emergency.
“The debt limit needs to be set so as to provide sufficient headroom to ensure there is stability and certainty for the financial markets about the government’s capacity to finance its operations for the foreseeable future,” Joe Hockey said.
“We need not look any further than the recent events in the United States to realize how imperative for stability and certainty is for confidence.”
Treasurer Joe Hockey said that by raising Australia’s debt limit he wanted to avoid a crisis similar to the recent US fiscal emergency
Earlier this month, the US government was partially shutdown for 16 days after the Democrats and Republicans were unable to reach an agreement over the country’s budget and raising the debt ceiling.
The situation was resolved last week after Congress hammered together a last-minute deal to temporarily raise the debt limit until the end of the first week of February 2014.
However, financial markets were rattled by the US political deadlock, which brought the country closer to the possibility of defaulting on its debts.
There was little reaction in the Australian financial markets to Tuesday’s announcement.
Australian government debt is popular among many investors because of its top AAA credit rating.
That means it is regarded as the safest kind of investment by the ratings agencies looking at the risks associated with government borrowing, as well as for companies.
At the same time, Australia’s total debt, expressed as a percentage of its total economic output (GDP), is relatively low compared to other developed nations.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Australia’s debt is expected to be around 30% of its GDP this year, compared to nearly 106% for the US.
Joe Hockey said that the government was keen to keep its debt levels in check.
“We are not going to allow ourselves to get into the position that the United States is in where there’s tremendous uncertainty about the capacity of a country to live within its means,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Australian PM Tony Abbott is set to hold his first parliament sittings in late October, which will give the government up to six weeks to pass the legislation required to raise the debt limit.
The government is also set to face an audit commissioned by the Treasury, which is aimed at streamlining government services and reducing wasteful spending.
Apple has unveiled the iPad Air, a top-of-the-range tablet that is 20% thinner than the previous version.
The 9.7in computer is 0.3in thick and weighs 1lb, which Apple claims is the lightest full-sized tablet on the market.
iPad Air is powered by the same A7 chip found in Apple’s iPhone 5S.
The launch comes at a time when some analysts have suggested that Google’s Android is about to overtake Apple’s iOS as the bestselling tablet platform.
Apple also announced a new version of its iPad Mini.
Apple has unveiled the iPad Air that is 20 percent thinner than the previous version
iPad Mini’s 7.9in screen has been upgraded to feature 2048 by 1536 pixels – the same as the larger model. It is being branded as “retina” to highlight the increased resolution.
Apple also announced that the latest version of its Mac operating system, Mavericks, would be offered at no cost to owners of computers already running any version of OS X released since 2009. It is the first time the company has not charged for a major Mac OS upgrade.
By contrast the full version of Windows 8.1 is sold for about $150, although it is free to existing Windows 8 users.
Linux-based Ubuntu has always been offered without charge. Chromebook computers also get free upgrades for Google’s PC operating system.
New laptops, productivity and leisure apps were also unveiled. However, Apple did not show off a new TV set-top box as some had speculated.
The Vatican has announced today it is launching its own official cricket club as part of efforts to encourage interfaith dialogue.
The St Peter’s Cricket Club is the brainchild of Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See, John McCarthy.
John McCarthy described it as an example of “sporting diplomacy” which would present the opportunity to play the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.
The next stage is to select an official cricket team.
John McCarthy estimates that there are between 250 and 350 potential players from around the world studying in seminaries and religious universities in Rome – many of them from cricket loving countries.
The Vatican has launched its own official cricket club as part of efforts to encourage interfaith dialogue
The board will stage a limited-overs tournament which will give students and priests a chance to compete for a place on the team, to be known as the Vatican XI.
The team will sport the official colors of the tiny city-state – yellow and white. Their jackets will have the seal of the papacy – two crossed keys.
Speaking at the launch, Monsignor Melchor Sanchez, who is the honorary president of St Peter’s Cricket Club said “this represents the council’s desire to go to the peripheries of the world that Pope Francis has spoken of.”
And the chairman of the club, Father Theodore Mascarenhas, an Indian priest known for his off-spin bowling, was confident about the Church’s skills.
“The team will be strong enough to beat anyone in the world,” Father Theodore Mascarenhas said.
Pope Francis is known to like soccer. He is a fan of the San Lorenzo football club in his native Argentina.
But Father Theodore Mascarenhas said the Pope – who he described as an open man – would embrace a new sport.
“I think cricket is another thing that would be part of that openness.”
The St Peter’s Cricket Club has already 650] laid down its first challenge to the Church of England and asked for a match at Lord’s in September next year.
According to recent reports, just five senior members of the Royal family have been invited by Prince William and Kate Middleton to today’s christening of Prince George.
The Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex are among those who have been left off the guest list.
Prince William’s cousin Princesses Eugenie, who is in New York, will also miss out, together with the Princess Royal, who is in Canada, and the Countess of Wessex, who is carrying out official duties in Somerset. Zara Phillips, another of Prince William’s cousins, will be attending after she was chosen as a godparent.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s choice of the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace as the venue for the ceremony meant the guest list had to be kept down to fewer than 50 (only 22 guests, according to royal sources), meaning there would not have been room for close friends if the couple’s various aunts, uncles and cousins attended.
Just five senior members of the Royal family have been invited by Prince William and Kate Middleton to today’s christening of Prince George
The only senior members of the Royal family who will be there, apart from Prince George and his parents, are Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.
They will be joined by Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her siblings Pippa and James.But there will be no “plus ones”, meaning there is no place for Prince Harry’s girlfriend Cressida Bonas or Pippa Middleton’s boyfriend Nico Jackson.
Marcus Setchell, the obstetrician in charge of the delivery of Prince George, is expected to be at the service, together with midwives Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Arona Ahmed and Lisa Greene, who attended to Kate Middleton in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.
A source close to the Earl of Wessex said he would be busy with “meetings all the way through the day”, while the Duke of York has “a day of official engagements in London”.
The ceremony will arguably be the most private christening of a future king or queen in living memory.
Chinese newspaper The New Express, based in Guangzhou, has published a rare front-page plea for the release of one of its journalists held by police.
The New Express called for Chen Yongzhou, who was detained last week, to be freed.
The paper said Chen Yongzhou’s detention was linked to reports he wrote about a part state-owned construction equipment company based in Hunan.
Police in Hunan have confirmed the journalist has been detained for “damage to business reputation”.
The New Express has published a rare front-page plea for the release of journalist Chen Yongzhou held by police
Earlier this year, Chen Yongzhou wrote several reports about Zoomlion, which is partly owned by the Hunan provincial government.
Zoomlion issued a statement after one New Express article, which alleged it had improperly accounted for sales, caused its share price to drop.
In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange in late May, the company called the claims “false, groundless and misleading”.
Chen Yongzhou’s detention was linked to reports he wrote about a part state-owned construction equipment company based in Hunan
The New Express led its article with a large three-character headline that read “Please Release Him”.
It said it had remained quiet so far because it feared Chen Yongzhou, who was detained on October 19, might be mistreated.
“We always thought that as long as we report responsibly then there would be no problem; and even in the event of a problem, we can publish corrections and apologise; if it is really serious, and we lose a court case, we will pay or shut down if we have to,” the editorial said.
“But the fact is, we are too naive. Chen Yongzhou had spent three days and three nights [in custody] before he saw a lawyer,” it added.
Like all Chinese newspapers, the New Express comes under strict state control, but it has nonetheless gained a reputation for investigative journalism.
“We are a small newspaper, but we have the backbone no matter how poor we are,” the paper said in its piece.
Recent years have seen sporadic clashes between Chinese media outlets and the authorities.
In January, journalists at the Guangdong-based Southern Weekly newspaper called for a propaganda chief to quit, after he changed an editorial into a Communist Party tribute.
The row sparked small protests and displays of solidarity from other media outlets before the issue was resolved.
There have been strong reactions to the news of Chen Yongzhou’s detention from users of Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
Around 30 lawyers have put forward their names to rally support for Chen Yongzhou and organized a virtual body – “Observation Group on the Detention of New Express Reporter Chen Yongzhou”. But the group has not disclosed any planned actions.
Media professionals, including journalists, are also using Weibo to join the call for police to release Chen Younzhou.
An editor from Dongfang Jinbao, a Henan-based newspaper, wrote: “Support New Express to safeguard the rights of its journalists. The bottom line of consensus in today’s society is rule of law. Why did the police arrest Mr. Chen? On what legal basis? Is it detention or arrest?”
Weibo users have also commented on the censorship of the news of Chen Yongzhou’s detention.
Another journalist from Henan province added: Within 10 minutes, all major internet portals like Sina, Sohu, Tencent and others have withdrawn the story from their home pages. This is a moment of shame for all (except a few) journalists in China.
Other users, however, are urging restraint, saying that it is not good to jump to any conclusions now.
There is “no need” for Alireza M’s second execution after he survived a first hanging, Iran’s justice minister says.
Lawyers want the head of the judiciary to stop a repeat hanging after Alireza M was found alive in a morgue.
Justice Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi said executing the man would have repercussions against Iran’s image, the ISNA news agency reported.
The government has no direct control over the judiciary which has to decide whether a second execution takes place.
Iran has one of the highest rates of execution in the world.
Amnesty International has urged Iran not to go ahead with a repeat execution for drug smuggler Alireza M who survived a botched hanging
Alireza M, a 37-year-old convicted drug smuggler, was found alive in a morgue after being hanged at a jail in the north-eastern city of Bojnord last week.
He had been left to hang for 12 minutes after which a doctor declared him dead, reports said.
But when Alireza M’s family went to collect his body from the prison morgue the next day, they found he was still breathing.
The man was then moved to a hospital where he was being kept under armed guard.
Alireza M’s condition is not known although the IRNA news agency reported on Monday that he had fallen into a coma.
Last week, Amnesty International urged Iran not to go ahead with a repeat execution.
Amnesty International also called for a moratorium on all executions in Iran.
Prince George’s seven godparents have been announced ahead of his christening later this afternoon.
Prince George’s godparents are: Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, William van Cutsem and Zara Phillips.
Zara Phillips, wife of former England rugby international Mike Tindall, is Prince William’s cousin.
The Archbishop of Canterbury – Justin Welby – will christen the three-month-old prince at St James’s Palace in central London.
Emilia Jardine-Paterson attended Marlborough College with Kate Middleton, while Oliver Baker went to St Andrews University with Prince William and the duchess.
William van Cutsem is a childhood friend of the duke.
Zara Phillips is one of Prince George’s seven godparents
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton served as private secretary to Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry from 2005 to 2012, and is still principal private secretary and equerry on a part-time basis.
Julia Samuel was a close friend of Prince William’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
Earl Grosvenor is the son of the Duke of Westminster.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will be joined by family and close friends for Prince George’s christening at the palace’s Chapel Royal.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are expected to attend along with the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.
Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa and James are also expected to be at the ceremony.
Celebrity portrait photographer Jason Bell will take the official pictures, and after the christening he is expected to capture a historic image of the Queen and three future monarchs – Princes Charles, William and George – together.
This will echo a 1894 picture from the christening of the future Edward VIII, showing him with his father, grandfather and great-grandmother – George V, Edward VII and Queen Victoria.
Prince George will wear a replica of the intricate lace and satin christening gown made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal, in 1841.
The NSA has spied on French diplomats in Washington and at the UN, according to the latest claims in Le Monde newspaper.
NSA internal memos obtained by Le Monde detailed the use of a sophisticated surveillance programme, known as Genie.
US spies allegedly hacked foreign networks, introducing the spyware into the software, routers and firewalls of millions of machines.
It comes a day after claims the NSA tapped millions of phones in France.
The details in the latest Le Monde article are based on leaks from ex-intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, through Glen Greenwald, the outgoing Guardian journalist, who is feeding the material from Brazil.
It comes on the day the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, is in London meeting foreign counterparts to discuss Syria.
The Le Monde report sets out details of Genie, an NSA surveillance programme in which spyware implants were introduced remotely to overseas computers, including foreign embassies.
The NSA has spied on French diplomats in Washington and at the UN
The newspaper claims bugs were introduced to the French Embassy in Washington (under a code name “Wabash”) and to the computers of the French delegation at the UN, codenamed “Blackfoot”.
The article suggests that in 2011, the US allocated $652 million in funding for the programme, which was spent on “spy implants”. Tens of millions of computers were reported to have been hacked that year.
A document dated August 2010 suggests intelligence stolen from foreign embassy computers ensured the US knew ahead of time the positions of other Security Council members, before a UN vote for a resolution imposing new sanctions on Iran.
The US was worried the French were drifting to the Brazilian side – who were opposed to implementing sanctions – when in truth they were always aligned to the US position.
The intelligence agency quotes Susan Rice, then-US ambassador to the UN, who praises the work done by the NSA: “It helped me know… the truth, and reveal other [countries’] positions on sanctions, allowing us to keep one step ahead in the negotiations.”
On Monday, Le Monde alleged that the NSA spied on 70.3 million phone calls in France between December 10, 2012, and January 8, 2013.
At a breakfast meeting with the US secretary of state on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius demanded a full explanation.
Referring to a telephone call between the French and US presidents, Laurent Fabius told reporters: “I said again to John Kerry what Francois Hollande told Barack Obama, that this kind of spying conducted on a large scale by the Americans on its allies is something that is unacceptable.”
Asked if France was considering reprisals against the US, government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem replied: “It is up to Foreign Minister Fabius to decide what line we take but I don’t think there is any need for an escalation.
“We have to have a respectful relationship between partners, between allies. Our confidence in that has been hit but it is after all a very close, individual relationship that we have.”
Both French officials made their comments before the latest revelations appeared in Le Monde.
Edward Snowden, a former NSA worker, went public with revelations about US spying operations in June.
The information Edward Snowden’s leaked led to claims of systematic spying by the NSA and CIA on a global scale.
Targets included rivals like China and Russia, as well as allies like the EU and Brazil.
The EU has agreed to resume membership talks with Turkey.
The European affairs ministers meeting in Luxembourg said the talks would restart on November 5th, after being stalled for three years.
The EU had first agreed to re-launch negotiations in June, but postponed the talks after members criticized Turkey’s crackdown on anti-government protests.
Turkey first applied for full membership of what was then the European Economic Community in 1987.
The ministers of the 28 EU members based their latest decision on a recommendation by the European Commission.
In its 2013 progress report on Turkey published last week, the Commission had criticized as excessive the use of force by Turkish police in dealing with widespread demonstrations.
The EU has agreed to resume membership talks with Turkey
But it recognized that Turkey had introduced judicial reforms. It also praised the announcement last month by PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan of a series of political reforms, including increased rights for Kurds.
Linas Linkevicius, the foreign minister of Lithuania, which currently holds the EU presidency, congratulated Turkey on the resumption of the negotiating process, which he said was overdue.
“Time to catch up!” he tweeted on Lithuania’s official EU presidency site.
Turkey has been an associate member of the European Union (then the European Economic Community) since 1963.
Turkey met the last condition for accession talks in 2005, but negotiations have stalled over a range of issues, including concern over freedom of speech and democracy, treatment of religious minorities, judicial reform, and ongoing tensions with Cyprus, an EU member.
During that time Ankara has watched other countries overtake Turkey in the queue for membership.
Croatia became a full member of the EU in July, while Serbia achieved official candidate status earlier this year.
Prince George’s christening service on October 23 at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace could be attended by fewer than 60 people.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have broken with several traditions since their 2011 wedding, but royal christenings have always been for family, close friends and godparents.
Prince George’s christening guest list will include fewer than 60 people
All the public will see and hear of the 45-minute ceremony, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, is the official photos and a few details that Prince William and Kate Middleton decide to release the next day.
Definitely present with Prince William and Kate Middleton will be: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince Harry and Michael and Carole Middleton with Kate’s sister Pippa and brother James.
Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and their spouses have not been invited, although Palace officials insist there are no family rifts.
Nokia has unveiled its first phablets as well as its first tablet computer at a company event in Abu Dhabi.
The Windows Phone handsets introduce the ability to change which objects in a photo are in focus after it is taken.
The Windows RT tablet has a 4G data chip, unlike Microsoft’s recently unveiled Surface 2.
Nokia World in Abu Dhabi is likely to be remembered as the Finnish firm’s last major event before it completes the sale of its hardware unit.
Microsoft agreed to buy the business for 5.4 billion euros ($7.4 billion) in a deal which the companies have said should be finalized by early 2014.
Microsoft’s share of the handset and tablet markets is growing but from a relatively low level, according to market research firm Gartner.
Windows Phone took a 3.3% share of smartphone sales in the April-to-June quarter, said the firm, with Nokia proving the most popular brand.
It also forecast that about 1.7% of all tablets shipped over 2013 as a whole would be powered by either Windows RT or the full Windows 8 operating system.
Nokia World in Abu Dhabi
Nokia showed off two phablets at the UAE launch. Both the Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320 feature 6in (15.2cm) displays, allowing extra rows of apps to be displayed on their home screens than possible on smaller models.
The firm said that the extra space would also make it easier to use the phones’ touchscreen keyboards, suggesting this would appeal to business users who used productivity software.
A new Beamer app will allow the phones to stream the contents of their screens onto to a web browser on a separate display. It works by sending data via Nokia’s computer servers.
Another new app – Refocus – lets owners determine which parts of a photograph are in focus and which are blurred after it is taken. The phones achieve this by taking a series of images in quick succession at different focus lengths rather than replicating the light field effect captured by a Lytro camera.
The Lumia 2520 becomes the only Windows RT tablet made by a manufacturer other than Microsoft.
Dell, Asus, Lenovo, Acer and Samsung had all initially backed the platform only to later change tack.
The operating system runs on an ARM-based chip allowing it to offer superior battery life to the full Windows 8 system running on tablets powered by x86 processors, but it does not support as many programs.
Nokia’s tablet is slightly more compact than Microsoft’s version and also distinguishes itself by supporting an optional 4G Sim card.
However, bearing in mind Microsoft has already taken a $900 million write-down after weak sales of its original Surface RT tablet, one analyst questioned whether the firm would want to produce two competing models.
Nokia also added three models to its Asha range of low-end handsets targeted at emerging markets and shoppers on a budget. They run Nokia’s proprietary Series 40 OS rather than Windows Phone.
The most expensive of the devices, the Asha 530, now supports 3G data in addition to 2G, allowing faster internet access.
According to latest official figures, the US economy added 148,000 jobs in September, lower than analysts had predicted.
The unemployment rate fell to 7.2%, down from 7.3% in August, the US Department of Labor said.
The release of the figures was delayed by the partial shutdown of the US government earlier this month.
Economists had predicted 180,000 job gains for September, and the lower-than-expected figure could raise fears the US economy is losing momentum.
The US economy added only 148,000 jobs in September, lower than analysts had predicted
Employment in professional and business services grew at the fastest pace with 32,000 new jobs added. Leisure and hospitality was the only sector to see a fall with 13,000 jobs lost.
Following the figures, stock markets turned higher, with the FTSE 100 up 0.5% at 6,688 and both the Dow futures and broader S&P index futures up 0.3%, as investors bet on the Fed continuing its stimulus programme at the same pace.
The dollar fell, under pressure from the expectation that the stimulus programme, which effectively creates more dollars, will continue at the same rate.
The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, maintained its economic stimulus programme last month, suggesting it was still uncertain about the strength of the economic recovery.
The Labor Department said the next US unemployment data would be released on November 8, a week later than scheduled due to the partial shutdown of the US government.
Its workers were placed on unpaid leave during the shutdown raising fears the department will struggle to collect accurate data for October.
Cuba has decided to eliminate its dual-currency system in the latest financial reform rolled out by President Raul Castro, official media report.
Since 1994 Cuba has had two currencies, one pegged to the US dollar and the other worth only a fraction of that.
The more valuable convertible peso (CUC) was reserved for use in the tourism sector and foreign trade.
Now its value will be gradually unified with the lower-value CUP, ending a system resented by ordinary Cubans.
Cuba has decided to eliminate its dual-currency system in the latest financial reform rolled out by President Raul Castro
The Cuban economy is almost entirely state-run and the tourism sector has boomed since the collapse of the Soviet Union plunged Cuba into economic isolation and hardship.
The two-currency system was supposed to protect Cuba’s fragile economy but angered locals paid in the much lower-value CUP and denied access to goods only available for those with convertible pesos.
The policy exacerbated the creation of a two-tier class system in Cuba which divided privileged Cubans with access to the lucrative tourist and foreign-trade sectors from those working in the local economy – all-too-visibly contradicting Cuba’s supposedly egalitarian society.
The council of ministers has approved a timetable for implementing “measures that will lead to monetary and exchange unification”, the official Communist Party newspaper Granma said.
Unification is “imperative to guarantee the re-establishment of the Cuban peso’s value and its role as money, that is as a unit of accounting, means of payment and savings”, it said.
There are no details of how quickly the change would be implemented, though Reuters news agency quoted Cuban economists as saying it would take about 18 months.
Kensington Palace has refused to comment on the identity of Prince George’s six godparents.
However, three close friends have been named as likely candidates: University of St Andrews contemporary Fergus Boyd, 31; interior designer and school friend of Kate Middleton Emilia d’Erlanger, also 31, and Hugh van Cutsem, 39, one of Prince William’s oldest friends.
Contenders for the other three places include university friends Oliver Baker and Alasdair Coutts-Wood; Kate Middleton’s Marlborough school friend Alicia Fox-Pitt and St Andrews students Virginia Fraser and Olivia Bleasdale.
If Prince William and Kate Middleton want some older guardians there is former nanny Tiggy Pettifer or former private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, while Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton and Zara Phillips can’t be ruled out.
Joe Little, editor of Majesty magazine, says: “William and Kate have shown with their wedding, and now with the christening, that they will do things their way in the 21st century, and choose the people they want.
“It is a refreshing modern outlook as long as they don’t overdo it and become Mr. and Mrs. Ordinary, which would take away the magic of the monarchy and could cause people to lose interest.”
Kensington Palace has refused to comment on the identity of Prince George’s six godparents
In 1948, Prince Charles’s names were not even made public until the day of his christening, a month after his birth.
Most of Prince Charles’ eight godparents were elderly, and two, great uncles King Haakon of Norway and Prince George of Greece, could not make it to the service.
By contrast Prince William howled through his christening on August 4, 1982, watched by the Queen Mother on her 82nd birthday who said afterwards: “He certainly has a good pair of lungs!”
Prince William wore the same christening gown, made from Spitalfi elds silk satin and Honiton lace, as all the royals since Queen Victoria’s oldest daughter Victoria was baptized in 1841.
The last royal baby to wear it was the Earl and Countess of Wessex’s daughter Lady Louise but it is now in the Museum of London and a replica has been made by the Queen’s dresser Angela Kelly. This gown, which Prince George will wear at his tomorrow’s christening, was first used for Edward and Sophie’s son James Viscount Severn in 2008.
Prince William’s godparents were mainly chosen by Prince Charles, and included former King Constantine of Greece, Lord Romsey, Princess Alexandra, the Duchess of Westminster and Lady Susan Hussey, the Queen’s senior lady-in waiting.
The one big surprise was Prince Charles’s mystical mentor, the explorer and philosopher Sir Laurens van der Post, who was chosen to give a spiritual element to William’s childhood.
Princes were traditionally circumcised for hygienic reasons.
Prince George’s christening will happen tomorrow and the Archbishop of Canterbury – the Most Reverend Justin Welby – spoke for the first time about the “extraordinary moment” when he will baptize Prince William and Kate Middleton’s baby son.
In a message released by Lambeth Palace, the Most Reverend Justin Welby spoke of the “great times” Prince William and Kate Middleton will have as parents in the years to come.
The 45-minute christening service will take place on Wednesday, October 23, at 3 p.m. at the Chapel Royal within St James’s Palace.
The ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop in what he called a celebration of “the next hugely important moment” in Prince George’s life.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had so much advice they could probably fill a house with it.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby spoke for the first time about the “extraordinary moment” when he will baptize Prince William and Kate Middleton’s baby son
“My message to them would be <<what a treat, what an amazing gift, what wonderful times you will have>>.
“A few months ago millions of people around the world celebrated the birth of Prince George.
“Now we’re celebrating the next hugely important moment, which is his christening.”
Beneath the ornate Hans Holbein ceiling of the Chapel Royal, the third-in-line to the throne and future supreme governor of the Church of England will be christened George Alexander Louis.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said: “I will mark Prince George with the sign of the cross on his forehead and that’s exactly what every priest always does every single baptism.
“It’s an extraordinary moment because that is the sign by which we understand this person belongs to God.
“There’ll be great times, there’ll be tough times – there always are with children.
“Through christening you are bringing God into the middle of it all and I know that when he’s in the middle of it all, somehow, it’s held in his hands, and that’s extraordinary.”
He also talked about how Prince George’s baptism means he joins almost 2,000 million people around the world in what he calls the “family of the Church”.
