Eurozone has emerged from recession after a record 18 months of economic contraction.
According to the Eurostat agency, eurozone’s GDP grew by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2013, slightly ahead of forecasts.
The growth was widely expected after the German economy rose 0.7% between April and June.
However, the overall figure masks the mixed economic fortunes among the countries that make up the 17-country eurozone area.
Germany and France both posted stronger-than-expected growth, expanding 0.7% and 0.5% respectively.
Portugal, among the smallest and the weakest eurozone economies, showed the fastest growth, at 1.1%.
Eurozone has emerged from recession after a record 18 months of economic contraction
The country was one of three that had to take a multi-billion-euro bailout.
But Spain, which had to seek outside support for its struggling banking sector, saw its economic output fall by 0.1% on the quarter.
Italy and the Netherlands both saw output drop by 0.2%.
European Commission Vice-President Olli Rehn said the figures suggested the European economy was gradually gaining momentum, but added there was no room for complacency.
“There are still substantial obstacles to overcome: the growth figures remain low and the tentative signs of growth are still fragile,” he said.
“A number of member states still have unacceptably high unemployment rates; the implementation of essential, but difficult reforms across the EU is still in its early stages. So there is still a very long way to go.”
Analysts from Capital Economics said: “The return to modest rates of economic growth in the eurozone as a whole won’t address the deep-seated economic and fiscal problems of the peripheral countries.”
The figures reaffirm Germany’s position as the powerhouse behind the eurozone.
Germany narrowly avoided recession earlier this year, but GDP in the second quarter of 2013 was driven up by demand from both consumers and businesses.
The improvement comes just weeks before a federal election that will see Chancellor Angela Merkel stand for a third term in office.
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) is closing all its programmes in Somalia after 22 years working in the war-torn country.
MSF said in a statement that the decision had been taken because of “extreme attacks on its staff”.
The charity said armed groups and civilian leaders increasingly “support, tolerate or condone the killing, assaulting, and abducting of humanitarian aid workers”.
More than 1,500 staff have provided a range of services across Somalia.
MSF is closing all its programmes in Somalia after 22 years working in the war-torn country
Unni Karunakara, MSF’s international president, said it has been one of the hardest decisions the charity has ever had to make.
Since 1991, when Somalia descended into civil war, 16 MSF workers have been killed and there had been dozens of attacks on its staff, ambulances and medical facilities, the charity said.
Last month, two of its Spanish members of staff who were kidnapped nearly two years ago and held in Somalia were freed.
“Ultimately, civilians in Somalia will pay the highest cost,” Dr. Unni Karunakara said in a statement.
“Much of the Somali population has never known the country without war or famine.
“Already receiving far less assistance than is needed, the armed groups’ targeting of humanitarian aid, and civilians leaders’ tolerance of these abuses, has effectively taken away what little access to medical care is available to the Somali people.”
North Korea and South Korea have reached an agreement about re-opening the Kaesong joint industrial zone, officials from Seoul say.
Operations there have been suspended since April when North Korea withdrew its workers amid rising political tensions.
On Wednesday the South’s Unification Ministry said a five-point accord had been agreed, but it remains unclear when operations might resume.
It comes after Seoul called for “final talks” following six previous rounds.
The agreement was signed by the chief delegates from the two Koreas, reports the Yonhap news agency. There are few details about the accord, but Yonhap says the deal is believed to ensure that a similar suspension of operations could not be repeated.
North Korea and South Korea have reached an agreement about re-opening the Kaesong joint industrial zone
“The South and the North will prevent the current suspension of the Kaesong industrial complex caused by the workers’ withdrawal from being repeated again,” the Agence France-Presse news agency also quoted from the agreement.
A joint committee will also be set up to discuss compensation for economic losses, AFP reports.
The Kaesong Industrial Complex, which lies just inside North Korea, is home to 123 South Korean factories which employ more than 50,000 North Korean workers.
It is the last functioning inter-Korean joint project and a key source of revenue for Pyongyang.
North Korea withdrew its workers in April, angered by the expansion of UN sanctions afters its 12 February nuclear test and annual US-South Korea military drills.
Tensions have eased somewhat since then.
Pyongyang agreed to Wednesday’s talks hours after Seoul said it would start distributing compensation payments to South Korean firms hit by the stoppage – a move seen as a precursor to formal closure of the zone.
On Tuesday, the owners of South Korean businesses at the zone called for a deal.
North Korea said last week that reopening Kaesong was in both nations’ interests.
Back in 2012, a proposal for a TV show about a conservative Louisiana family that makes duck calls didn’t have to go far to find doubters.
The Robertsons were seated at the dinner table.
“I said, <<This will never work. Nobody’s going to watch that>>,” remembers Jase Robertson, who works for the family business.
“My dad [Phil Robertson] echoed that. I think he said something along the lines of <<A redneck family, they’re not going to run that>>.”
Well, they did run it, and people watched. Lots of people. A&E’s Duck Dynasty, which opens its fourth season today, August 14, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, has become a ratings phenomenon, ranking behind only AMC’s zombie hit The Walking Dead last season among cable series.
The reality series that follows the bearded Robertson clan and their Monroe, Louisiana, outdoor sporting-goods business grew 95% in viewers last season, averaging 8.4 million viewers.
Duck Dynasty is designed as a modern-day sitcom with a rich cast of characters including patriarch and duck-call creator Phil Robertson, his wife Kay and their sons – Willie, the CEO; Jase, who makes the duck calls but would rather be hunting or fishing; and Jep – and Phil’s offbeat brother, Si.
Phil and Miss Kay’s oldest son, Alan – uniquely clean-shaven – joins the show in the fourth-season premiere.
Duck Dynasty Season 4’s first episode will feature a surprise wedding-vow renewal ceremony for Phil and Kay Robertson on their 49th anniversary.
“He’s kind of the troubled one in my family. He’s good looking, he’s clean shaven, he bathes regularly and he wears nice clothes. We’ve always tried to figure out what exactly is wrong with him,” Jase Robertson says.
Duck Dynasty has become a ratings phenomenon, ranking behind only The Walking Dead last season among cable series
The show’s success has much to do with how engaging the Robertsons are, says Andy Dehnart, editor of realityblurred.com, a blog about unscripted TV shows.
“The No. 1 thing is just that the cast members are really appealing, nice, funny, warm, awesome people to spend some time with on TV. I think that’s what makes all the difference,” he says.
“We get that a lot on social media, <<How I wish this was my family>>, which is the best compliment we can get,” says A&E’s reality-programming chief Lily Neumeyer, also an executive producer on the series.
Jase Robertson says he believes sincerity is the key.
“I think the smartest thing we did was stay true to ourselves.”
Producers get episode ideas from the family members, but the episodes resemble sitcom plots: Willie Robertson wants to lose weight before a reunion. Jase thinks Willie is going through a midlife crisis.
“We all sat down around a table and had them tell stories and we just listen. They always have the most amazing, funny stories and moments,” she says.
Producers often re-create situations for the show, so like most such series it isn’t entirely unscripted. Once the cameras are rolling, the Robertsons take it from there, Lily Neumeyer says.
Still, when producers try to film or re-create events from their lives, family members don’t necessarily go along with their plans. Jase Robertson says he’s not told what to say and that he has balked at requests, refusing to wear knickers in an episode where he and Willie go golfing.
“A lot of the ideas that they have, they always take a turn somewhere because that’s just not what we would do,” he says.
“I think it’s difficult for them to trust us enough to know that they’re going to get something they can use, and that’s been the biggest battle. They want to control it, but we’re uncontrollable. So, finding that balance is the genius part of the show.”
Duck Dynasty‘s success already is leading to imitators, Andy Dehnart says, but it will be hard to reproduce the on-camera genuineness of the Robertsons. Discovery Channel on Tuesday unveiled Porter Ridge, a comedic series from Duck Dynasty‘s producers that centers on an auto salvage yard business in the hills of Indiana.
“I fear for the day when a bunch of Duck Dynasty clones come on the air, in part, because it’s lightning in a bottle,” says Andy Dehnart.
The family just got a big raise, Deadline.com reported Tuesday, enabling A&E to promise “several” more seasons of the show, but Jase Robertson dismisses reports of acrimony.
“We were having normal negotiations and people blew it out of proportion just for a story,” he says.
“A&E has been good to us. It says a lot of them to allow us to do what we do on the show, which is not normal television. They took a risk on us and we’ve been happy with them, and I think they’ve been happy with us.”
The high profile has helped the family business, too, with many people who aren’t hunters buying the duck calls and other items. A&E says an extensive line of merchandise is a big seller at WalMart and other big retailers. The family members are in demand at various events, and Willie and Si Robertson will appear, as other characters, on the season premiere of ABC’s Last Man Standing on September 20, 8 p.m. ET/PT.
“It’s changed our lives, because I can’t go to the grocery store without people gathering (around), but I think the difference in us and most people on TV is this was not something we set out as a goal,” he says.
“So, it didn’t really taint the important things, our faith and our family and our perspective on life.”
Honey Boo Boo’s parents, June Shannon and Mike Thompson, held an over-the-top commitment ceremony back in May complete with a camouflage theme.
In a sneak peak of Wednesday night’s episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Mama June is still hammering out the plans for her big day with Sugar Bear – down to every last Porta Potty.
June Shannon, 33, is seen getting quite worked up over the size and load capacity of a portable toilet she’s ordering for the event.
In the preview clip, Mama June is busy at her work desk composing a handwritten invite to her “celebration of love”.
The 272 lbs mother of four painstakingly writes out her missive with a felt tip pen as she struggles to find the right words to gather her loved ones together for her big day.
The bit of scribbling was surely an effort for legally blind June Shannon – whose condition is tragically the result of childhood cataracts that were not properly treated.
But before she can finish, Mama June is hit with a sneezing fit, signalling the general stress of the coming event, as she states: “See I’m already getting nervous.”
The larger than life June Shannon went on to explain: “There’s only a month left to go before the commitment ceremony and I got a s***load of things to do.
Mama June is still hammering out the plans for her big day with Sugar Bear, down to every last Porta Potty
“So, why not today, start checking things off my list one at a time.”
She admitted: “The budget for the commitment ceremony is going pretty well… I’m tryin’ not let it get away from me.”
Some of her money saving tricks include reusing Thank You cards as invites for the love ceremony.
But her biggest fear involves toilets.
Mama June explained: “Like any other event I’ve ever put together as long as you have food, people will come. You know when people eat they gotta s***.”
The observation prompts a phone call to a local Porta Potty rental company.
During the rental inquiry June Shannon explained: “Oh, yes, Ma’am. I was trying to enquire on some things about Porta Johns.
“Cause I don’t let a lot of people coming in my house and, um, mess my facilities up. I actually need one of those oversized ones. So, they have, like, a weight limit?
“Because, really, I mean the Porta Potties ain’t nothing but a five-gallon bucket with a lid on it.”
It was just a few weeks ago that Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson proposed to June on an episode of their hit television series.
It was the third time in nine years that love struck “Sugie” proposed, having been turned down twice before.
“I consider myself a chubby chaser,” Sugar Bear revealed on an episode two weeks ago.
Nonetheless, it took some persuading to get Mama June to agree to a commitment ceremony.
Just prior to accepting his proposition, June Shannon explained: “The M word scares me because he’s been through two marriages and it hasn’t worked. Marriages are easy to get into and hard to get out of.”
She may have said “no” to his marriage proposal, but the lack of paperwork attracted June Shannon to the idea of a commitment ceremony.
“I don’t believe in forever but I do believe in Sugar Bear,” she confessed.
Once again Lady Gaga was out to shock as she stepped out wearing almost identical face paint to what she wears on the cover of her new album ARTPOP.
With a white background splashed with several different colors, Lady Gaga, 27, cut a rather ghostly figure with the aid of her make-up.
Once again Lady Gaga was out to shock as she stepped out wearing almost identical face paint to what she wears on the cover of her new album ARTPOP
The look was further accentuated by Lady Gaga’s very dark brown hair and Gothic all-black attire consisting of a black pleated skirt, matching blouse, blazer and sky high lace-up ankle boots.
The shock tactic was for an appearance on E! as Ryan Seacrest tweeted a picture of himself with Lady Gaga, also wearing similar face paint.
Oddly strolling along sans-entourage, she was no doubt heading back to the Chateau Marmont where she was seen leaving earlier in the day.
For the cover of ARTPOP, Lady Gaga appears as a work of art in the image, taken by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, with her face painted white with splashes of color smeared around her eyes and mouth and her hair covered in a black wrap, as she emerges through a white billowing coat by designer Gareth Pugh.
Cher was very angry and launched a foul-mouthed rant on Twitter on Tuesday night after a song Lady Gaga wrote for her new album was leaked online.
Cher, 67, was left incensed when new track The Greatest Thing, which Lady Gaga wrote and RedOne produced for the veteran singer’s new album, found its way online.
After discovering the leak, Cher wrote on Twitter: “Just heard TGT ! F**K ! IT’S NOT EVEN THE RIGHT F***ING VERSION!!!
“WHY DO PPL THINK THIS KINDA LEAKING S**T IS OK ! I’m so Fg DISSAPOINTED.”
Cher later added: “Disappointed ( Ive Sat on fkng song 4 over a yr )NOW SOME A**HOLE LEAKS WRONG VERSION ! GaGa’s SINGLE IS GREAT, & THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS.”
Cher was very angry and launched a foul-mouthed rant on Twitter after a song Lady Gaga wrote for her new album was leaked online
While Lady Gaga was also undoubtedly unimpressed by the early leak, she did take to Twitter later in the day to thank Cher for having her back.
In a message re-tweeted by Cher, Lady Gaga wrote: “I love you @cher ! Thank you for the support, you’re the greatest thing!”
Speaking recently about her upcoming album, Cher compared it to one of her biggest hit records – 1998’s Believe.
She said: “It’s about being fabulous. Truthfully, I’m not a huge Cher fan and I’ve said this many times, but I think this is the best album I’ve ever done.
“The songs are so brilliant. I got so lucky. The closest thing to this album I think is the Believe album.”
Meanwhile, it’s been a less than successful week for Lady Gaga when it comes to her tracks being leaked.
On Monday she was forced to release her new single Applause a whole week before its intended premiere after it was leaked online.
Declaring a “POP MUSIC EMERGENCY”, Lady Gaga decided to beat the leakers and release the track to fans early.
And Cher was on hand to offer Lady Gaga some much-needed support as she struggled to contain her frustration over the leak.
Cher said: “She Doesn’t Like It! Shes an ARTIST… Its Her Song, Her Voice, Her Choice.”
Simon Cowell and Carmen Electra enjoyed a brief romance but when the pair split, Lauren Silverman was in fact the reason behind the break-up.
A source has claimed that Carmen Electra called it quits with Simon Cowell after finding him in a compromising position with Lauren Silverman, who is now pregnant with his child.
“Carmen was at Simon’s house in L.A. when she literally busted him with Lauren,” an insider told E! News.
“Simon called her a friend, but there was nothing platonic about what was going on, if you know what I mean.”
The source added that Carmen Electra “high-tailed it out of there. There was no way she was going to stick around and be a third wheel”.
Carmen Electra called it quits with Simon Cowell after finding him in a compromising position with Lauren Silverman
Carmen Electra and Simon Cowell acted as judges alongside each other on Britain’s Got Talent and began dating in December 2012, although Cowell revealed in February that they had broken up.
Simon Cowell, 53, is famously good at staying friends with his ex-girlfriends and it seems it was no different with Carmen Electra, who gushed that she was delighted for her former flame at an event late last month.
“I’m so happy for him!” Carmen Electra said.
“What I witnessed working with him on Britain’s Got Talent and coming to see him during X Factor is that the people he truly believes in, he stands up for them and supports them. So I obviously think that his child will be very well taken care and very, very loved.”
She added: “I’m going to call him as soon as I get in the car after the event. I want to know if it’s a boy or a girl. It’s awesome, I’m super happy for him.”
Despite the scandal, Simon Cowell seems rather unfazed and is currently cruising around the Mediterranean on a luxury yacht.
A source told People Simon Cowell “has been in contact with Lauren since her divorce turned messy”, but the insider said he is encouraging her to quickly figure things out with Andrew Silverman so they can move forward with their divorce.
Simon Cowell has been checking up on Lauren Silverman, 36, as her pregnancy progresses but the source says: “Simon still has no plans to move in with Lauren.”
The insider explained that Simon Cowell, who owns several properties in Beverly Hills “can put up Lauren in one of [them when he’s working in L.A.] so he can spend time with his baby”.
Egyptian security forces moved in to clear two protest camps occupied by supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo killing at least 15 people.
But the Muslim Brotherhood, which backs the protests, put the number of casualties much higher.
Bursts of gunfire were heard and armored bulldozers moved in. Security forces fired tear gas.
Authorities say the Nahda Square camp in western Cairo has been cleared.
The interior ministry said a mopping up operation in the surrounding streets was under way. Pro-Morsi activists were chased into the nearby zoo and Cairo University, Nile TV said.
Witnesses spoke of seeing at least 15 bodies on the ground, but the Muslim Brotherhood, describing the security forces’ intervention as a massacre, put the number of those killed at more than 100.
At least two member of the security forces were among the dead and nine were injured, officials say.
Egyptian security forces moved in to clear two protest camps occupied by supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo
Supporters of Mohamed Morsi have been occupying Nahda Square and the site outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in the north-east of the city since he was ousted on 3 July. They want him reinstated.
Earlier, the interior ministry issued a statement saying security forces were taking “necessary measures” against the protest camps.
The statement said a safe exit would be provided for protesters and they would not be pursued, “except those who are wanted by the prosecution”.
The interior ministry is keen “not to shed any Egyptian blood”, the statement went on.
Large plumes of smoke rose over parts of the city as the operation to clear the camps began.
Muslim Brotherhood TV called for people to send cars to the sit-ins to take casualties to hospital.
An armored bulldozer was used to breach brick walls erected by the protesters outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.
Live firing was heard as the security forces moved in, our correspondent says, and police are now patrolling the nearby streets.
More than 250 people have been killed in clashes with the security forces in the six weeks since Mohamed Morsi’s overthrow.
On Tuesday, one person was killed in a confrontation between supporters and opponents of Mohamed Morsi in Giza after people marched from Nahda Square to a nearby complex of government buildings to protest against the appointment of several military officers as provincial governors.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said the sit-ins could not continue “endlessly”.
He said the authorities had been trying to seek an agreement through dialogue.
“If the police force take their procedures, they will do that in accordance with the law by court order and in accordance to the basic norms on which these things are done.”
New reports claim Kanye West thinks Vogue could benefit from putting baby North in its prestigious fashion pages.
Much like Suri Cruise’s famous Vanity Fair cover, the music icon wants his two-month old daughter to meet world on his terms – something he reportedly believes could be mutually beneficial to Anna Wintour.
“It’s no secret that Kanye is a huge fan of fashion, Vogue and especially Anna Wintour,” a source close to Kanye West told RadarOnline.
“But it’s also pretty well-known that Anna is no fan of Kim, or any reality star appearing in the pages of the magazine.”
The source continued: “Kanye is determined to make sure baby North isn’t photographed by paparazzi then splashed across the world.
“He knows what he wants — a professional photographer and the cover of Vogue – nothing else. But clearly, trying to persuade Anna is going to be an uphill battle.”
While Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are expected to release the first photos of North West via Twitter, the rapper apparently wants her first ever photo shoot to be in Vogue – and it seems the Grammy-winning artist isn’t taking no for an answer, despite receiving a “less than enthusiastic” response from Anna Wintour.
Kim Kardashian scored high-fashion points when she graced the cover of the L’Uomo Vogue
Ensuring that he has every aspect of his argument covered, Kanye West has reportedly compiled new fashion magazine statistics that show reality stars on the cover can make sales soar.
According to the New York Times, the April issue of Cosmopolitan magazine featuring Kim Kardashian was its best-selling, with 1.2 million copies being plucked from newsstands.
And last year, Kim Kardashian scored high-fashion points when she graced the cover of the L’Uomo Vogue, the magazine’s Italian men’s edition.
But that issue’s success might not be enough to sway Anna Wintour to give the West-Kardashain family an American Vogue cover.
Three months ago Vogue editors famously cropped Kim Kardashain out of its Met Ball Best Dressed gallery when she appeared next to a Sauvé looking Kanye West wearing a universally mocked floral print Givenchy gown.
Nevertheless, it seems “Kanye is convinced that he’s going to make this happen”, said the source.
A Vogue spokesperson denied the claims.
Meanwhile it seems Kim Kardashian, who has only posted a few tweets and made one taped appearance on Kris Jenner’s show since giving birth on June 15, has sent her hardworking public relations representative on a hiatus.
The New York Post reported that Kim Kardashian has no need for publicist, Jill Fritzo, now that she is busy with North.
According to new reports, Liam Gallagher is trying to get the mother of his alleged love child, Liza Ghorbani, to sign an iron clad legal agreement which would prevent her revealing any personal details of their relationship.
Liam Gallagher is said to have instructed his lawyers to add a clause to a new legal agreement which would stop the New York journalist from speaking out on their romance.
Liza Ghorbani is said to be “irate” at the clause, which has put a halt to their ongoing battle over child support.
Liam Gallagher is alleged to have fathered a daughter with Liza Ghorbani during an intense affair, which was unveiled last month.
The news of the romance led to Liam Gallagher splitting from his wife Nicole Appleton.
The New York Post report that DNA tests have confirmed that Liam Gallagher is the father of Liza Ghorbani’s 8-month-old daughter, Gemma, but the rocker has yet to publicly acknowledge the fact.
Liam Gallagher is trying to get Liza Ghorbani to sign an iron clad legal agreement which would prevent her revealing any personal details of their relationship
A friend of Liza Ghorbani, who met Liam Gallagher in 2010, has claimed to the Post that Liza is upset with a clause in the confidentiality agreement she has been asked to sign, which prevents her speaking out on their affair:
“Liza had no problem signing a confidentiality agreement regarding Liam’s finances, but Liam’s lawyers discreetly tried to add on an agreement that Liza never disclose any personal details of their relationship. This has made Liza irate.”
“His lawyers have insulted her one too many times,” the source continued.
“Liza sat quietly for Liam through her pregnancy and months after, while caring for their child with no help from him monetarily or otherwise, even trying to keep their identities secret in the court case.”
According to the insider, Liam Gallagher and Liza Ghorbani were very close during their relationship, with claims that the pair even picked out baby names together:
“She won’t sign the confidentiality agreement, she feels it is offensive because they did have an intense relationship. The negotiations are deadlocked,” the source adds.
Liam Gallagher’s team have refused to comment on the current legal proceedings.
His new legal problems follow the claims that the Oasis star has been secretly dating former aide Debbie Gwyther “for months”.
According to The Sun, Debbie Gwyther, who stopped working for his management company when pictures of them emerged together in Ibiza, believes he is the “love of her life”.
Liam Galagher and Debbie Gwyther are reported to have been enjoying a relationship before news broke of his affair with Liza Ghorbani.
A friend told the paper: “Some of us think she’s gone mad and have pointed out Liam appears to have four kids with four different women. But Debbie is besotted and convinced they have a future together.”
Debbie Gwyther, 31, who worked for Liam Gallagher’s Beady Eye management company, has reportedly split from her boyfriend and put their home in East London up for sale.
The source continued: “He’s been introduced to her friends as her new boyfriend. They love partying together and he was attracted to how honest he could be with her. Liam saw her as his right hand woman – the one person he could trust with everything.”
Israel has started to free a group of Palestinian prisoners, whose release was agreed as part of the deal that allowed peace talks to resume.
A group of 26 prisoners, all convicted of attacks that happened before 1993, were driven out of a jail in minibuses with tinted windows.
Some are being taken straight to Gaza, others are going to the West Bank.
Israelis outraged over Palestinian prisoner release
Palestinian and Israeli negotiators began direct talks two weeks ago for the first time in three years.
Another round of talks is due to begin in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Israel agreed to release the 26 long-term prisoners as the first of 104 Palestinian and Israeli Arab inmates to be freed over the next few months.
Relatives and friends of the freed prisoners have gathered on the frontier with Gaza.
The inmates were named by Israel’s prison service shortly after midnight on Sunday, giving victims’ families 48 hours to submit legal challenges to the High Court.
Earlier on Tuesday, the court rejected an appeal by a victims’ rights group that objected to the release of all of the prisoners.
Public prosecutors in Brazil have begun legal action against Samsung, alleging that it has been violating labor laws at its factory in the Amazon region.
Prosecutors accuse Samsung of making its employees work long, tiring shifts without sufficient breaks.
Brazilian prosecutors accuse Samsung of making its employees work long, tiring shifts without sufficient breaks
The prosecutors’ office in the city of Manaus said one worker reported packing nearly 3,000 phones a day.
Samsung plant, located at the Manaus Free Trade zone, employs some 6,000 people.
A worker at the Amazonas state factory has only 32 seconds to fully assemble a mobile phone and 65 seconds to put together a television set, prosecutors allege.
In evidence given to prosecutors, employees say shifts can last 15 hours and some say they suffer from back ache and cramps as they are forced to stand for up to 10 hours a day.
The prosecutors’ office is claiming more than 250 million reais ($108 million) in damages from Samsung for serious violations of labor legislation.
The legal suit was filed on Friday, but has only now been made public.
The Department of Justice has filed an anti-trust case to block the merger of American Airlines and US Airways.
The $11 billion deal, which would form the world’s largest airline, was backed by a federal judge in March and has been approved by the European Union.
The complaint says customers would see a price rise as the merger would “substantially lessen competition” in the domestic market.
US Airways boss Doug Parker said the company would fight the injunction.
“We are extremely disappointed in this action and believe the DOJ [Department of Justice] is wrong in its assessment,” Doug Parker said in a letter to employees.
The District of Columbia and six US states and have joined the legal action: Texas, where American Airlines is headquartered, Arizona, where US Airways is based, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.
American Airlines and US Airways said that in light of the justice department’s action they no longer expected the merger to close by the end of 2013, but that they remained “hopeful” litigation would be over by year’s end.
The Department of Justice has filed an anti-trust case to block the merger of American Airlines and US Airways
Shares in both companies fell, along with the stock prices of other airlines, as news of the anti-trust case hit the markets on Tuesday.
“By challenging this merger, the Department of Justice is saying that the American people deserve better,” US Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.
“This transaction would result in consumers paying the price – in higher air fares, higher fees and fewer choices.”
The lawsuit also cites direct competition between the airlines on nonstop routes worth about $2 billion in annual revenues.
In one example, the complaint says the newly merged company would take up 69% of flights out of Washington’s Reagan National Airport and 63% of nonstop routes out of the airport.
The airlines had previously conceded take-off and landing slots at airports in Philadelphia and London in order to win EU approval last week.
When the deal was announced in February, Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller also expressed concern that consumers would lose.
American Airlines has been in bankruptcy protection since November 2011, but US Airways has been profitable in recent years.
The two combined airlines would have 6,700 daily flights and annual revenue of roughly $40 billion.
The justice department complaint argues the two companies do not need to merge to continue to be competitive, and that American Airlines is likely to exit bankruptcy as a “vigorous competitor”.
The department also cited American Airlines’ purchase two years ago of 460 new planes, said to be the largest such order in industry history.
If the merger continues, there will be only three major US airlines, which the justice department alleges “increasingly prefer tacit coordination over full-throated competition”.
Some industry analysts suggest that American Airlines and US Airways’ ability to compete without a merger is not as strong as the department argues.
Porter Ridge, which makes its debut on the Discovery Channel on Tuesday night, is a reality show from the makers of Duck Dynasty, A&E’s daffy, delightful ratings juggernaut, which begins its fourth season on Wednesday.
Docu-seriesPorter Ridge, set in a remote area of Indiana, follows an isolated community which, according to the network, follows three rules: respect the Lord, love your family and watch each other’s backs.
In the premiere episode of Porter Ridge we meet Terry Porter and the gang as they take on a repo mission confronting their rivals, the Dog Killer Ridge crew.
Porter Ridge has the same problem most shows in this genre have: Everyone’s trying too hard. The show looks in on a backwoods microcosm in Indiana. Terry Porter, who seems to own no shirts, runs an auto junkyard.
Porter Ridge makes its debut on the Discovery Channel
Jeff Watson, whose beard is somewhat better trimmed than the well-known ones on Duck Dynasty, keeps bears as pets, though, in the premiere, it is not clear why. Assorted other characters with supposed-to-be-idiosyncratic names are also drifting about: Dirty Andy, another big-bearded fellow; Elvis Larry, who has the Elvis sideburns. There’s a rival junkyard on a rival ridge – Dog Killer Ridge, to be exact.
Wacky names and deep-woods dialect (subtitles are occasionally used in Porter Ridge) are all over reality television, and they’re amusing for about 15 minutes. That’s how long it takes to realize that life in a junkyard universe isn’t all that interesting if the people aren’t interesting themselves.
There is occasional wit in Porter Ridge, as when Terry Porter’s wife, Carrie, expresses a desire for a vacation.
“How long has it been since you’ve taken me on a trip?” Carrie asks Terry.
“Didn’t I take you to the Iron Skillet a week ago?” he says.
But those modest flourishes are few and far between; mostly, you’re just supposed to gawk at the rusticness of it all and be amused by antics like trying to open an old safe by dynamiting it.
The conservative Louisiana family returns tomorrow night for Season 4 of their mega-hit A&E reality show Duck Dynasty.
The last time we the Robertsons was in April, when their Season 3 finale broke records for A&E, pulling in 9.6 million viewers to become the most-watched show in its history.
“It’s amazing how appealing these people are all over the country,” says Elaine Fontain Bryant, A&E’s senior vice president of nonfiction and alternative programming.
“We really haven’t come across many people who don’t love them.”
The Robertson family, which became millionaires selling duck calls – the whistles blown to flush out ducks – has proven to be popular even outside of reality TV.
Duck Dynasty returns tomorrow night for Season 4
They currently have two books on the New York Times bestseller list – Phil Robertson’s memoir Happy, Happy, Happy and Willie and Korie Robertson’s The Duck Commander Family – and three more books due out this fall, including another memoir, a devotional book and a cookbook.
The Duck Dynasty stars have got a Christmas album coming out in October, a theme cruise setting sail next summer (which is already sold out) and a line of prom dresses inspired by Sadie Robertson.
As if TV, books, music, travel and fashion weren’t enough, some Republicans are itching for Willie Robertson, the star of the show and CEO of the family business, to run for political office. An outside advisor to House GOP leadership told the Washington Examiner yesterday they hope for Willie Robertson to run for the 5th District Congressional seat left open by the exit of Louisiana Republican Rodney Alexander.
Of the tidal wave of fame, straight-shooting patriarch Phil Robertson tells The New York Post: “Our greatest fear is that we come out on the other side of this thing acting like Charlie Sheen.”
Duck Dynasty Season 4 premieres on Wednesday, August 14, at 10/9C on A & E.
Duck Dynasty star Sadie Robertson is teaming up with designer Sherri Hill to create a line of prom dresses.
Willie Robertson’s daughter is finding herself in the spotlight once again after American Idol winner Scotty McCreery serenaded Sadie at her Sweet Sixteen party last month.
The Sadie Robertson Live Original collection, available next spring, will feature retro-inspired dresses with hem lengths that are “Willie approved”.
The Sadie Robertson Live Original collection, available next spring, will feature retro-inspired dresses with hem lengths that are “Willie approved”
That’s very important, as Sadie Robertson’s protective father has vetoed her prom dress choices in the past.
In last season’s Duck Be a Lady episode, the 16-year-old struggled to find a gown that both she and the stern Willie Robertson liked.
Now, Sadie Robertson and girls like her across the country won’t have to worry about finding appropriate evening wear.
Not only that, but Sadie Robertson will model her designs on the runway at Sherri Hill’s New York Fashion Week on September 9.
Duck Dynasty Season 4 premieres Wednesday, August 14, at 10 PM on A&E.
Duck Dynasty stars have spent much of the summer doing the rounds on the speaking circuit, rubbing shoulders with everyone from Tim Tebow to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to Sarah Palin.
They conservative Louisiana family was just celebrated at Rick Warren’s church for a congregation-wide Duck Dynasty day – spreading a message founded on their Christian faith, promoting family values and, of course, the right to bear arms.
Phil Robertson, the family patriarch who is the family’s camo decked evangelist, joined forces with his oldest son, Alan, a Church of Christ minister to headline Warren’s event on July 21.
Warning members against “political correctness trumping Biblical correctness”, Phil Robertson preached multiple messages to the thousands who turned out for the festivities – which included a beard-growing contest.
The stars of the popular show, among cable’s most watched programs, still run their multi-million dollar hunting goods company and have expanded their empire to produce everything from camo-emblazoned Christian devotionals, cigars, onesies bearing the Duck Commander logo and duck calls that retail from $9.95 to $179.95.
Phil Robertson, who began the duck call manufacturing operation from meager beginnings in 1972, appears on Duck Dynasty with his wife, Miss Kay, and his hilarious brother with a sweet tea addiction, Uncle Si.
Three of Phil Robertson’s four sons – the straight talking Jase, Willie (who followed his father as CEO of the company) and the youngest, and indulged, Jep – have all appeared on the show since Season 1.
Duck Dynasty stars have spent much of the summer spreading a message founded on their Christian faith
The eldest Robertson, Alan, is the only non-bearded one in the mix and has just left his work at the local church to help his family manage their new fame.
Describing himself as the “normal one,” Alan Robertson will be joining Duck Dynasty Season 4 that premieres August 14.
The self-proclaimed rednecks, with a lovable loathing for yuppies, have not allowed their stardom get to their heads but have become some of the most sought after stars for engagements far and away from their homebase of Monroe, Louisiana.
This May, Willie Robertson – the family’s third born who runs the Duck Commander company – rubbed shoulders with GOP darlings at the NRA convention, and was even rumored to be under consideration to join the gun group’s board.
Then in July, Willie Robertson was the star at LifeWay’s Main Event, a men’s conference sponsored by the Southern Baptist convention.
Father of five Willie Robertson, 41, will return to Nashville in August to deliver an address at the Cornerstone church, where an estimated 10,000 are expected to turn out.
Though Willie Robertson gets a lot of attention on the show, the other Roberston family members can still bring out a crowd.
Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, invited Phil, Kay and Si Robertson to speak at their annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence fundraiser in April.
In 2010, Tim Tebow had spoken at the event and the school was doubtful they could ever “top the buzz of Tebow” but the Robertsons did.
The event sold out so quickly, they added another talk and then a third talk in order to accommodate the demand.
People from 17 states purchased tickets and flew in from across the country to join the 15,000 who turned out to hear the Robertson trio banter on stage.
It was the biggest event ever in the school’s 125 year history.
Though much of the event focused on the hilarious antics of the family business, the talk closed with a spiritual message from Phil Robertson – where he presented the Gospel and invited attendees to accept Christ.
High says that the family’s Christian beliefs are a non-negotiable when they agree to speak.
“I’ve never seen them speak anywhere where there is not a specific, Christian faith element,” Phil Robertson said.
Back in April, Si Robertson told The Tennessean that though the show runs on A&E, the cable network isn’t the one in charge of the future.
“The Almighty is running this thing and he’s gonna take it where he wants it to go,” Si Robertson told The Tennessean, in between sips of iced tea.
Several Republican strategists are pushing Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson to run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Rodney Alexander in September, according to a new report.
A well-liked conservative Willie Robertson may be the next pop culture icon to jump into politics, a new report claims.
Willie Robertson is receiving intense interest from several Washington operatives as a potential future Congressman, the Washington Examiner reported.
Republican strategists are pushing Willie Robertson to run for the seat currently held by Republican Rodney Alexander, who is slated to retire in September to take a job in Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s cabinet.
A special election will be held to fill the open seat in September.
Several Republican strategists are pushing Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson to run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Rodney Alexander in September
“My boys want to run Willie Robertson for the seat,” a key advisor to House GOP leadership told the Examiner.
The seat represents the state’s fifth district, which includes Willie Robertson’s home city of Monroe, where he and his brothers own and run popular hunting companies Duck Commander and Buck Commander, which are at the center of Duck Dynasty reality show.
But the stars of the show, among cable’s most watched programs, also devote time to a message of Christian faith, family values and the right to bear arms — all themes that would fit in well with a possible Republican campaign.
Willie Robertson, along with his brothers, has expanded his national profile in recent months, spending part of the summer on the Christian lecture circuit at events with Rick Warren, Tim Tebow and Sarah Palin. Earlier this year, he was even drafted to be included on the ballot for the NRA’s board of directors
But despite Willie Robertson’s rising star, some GOP insiders remain skeptical over his ability to cross over into politics.
“Why would a multimillionaire TV sensation give up that work to run for a congressional seat,” another prominent GOP strategist told the Examiner.
The Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes has died aged 44.
Jon Brookes had suffered a seizure on tour with the band in 2010 and had been receiving treatment for a brain tumor.
He had undergone several operations, but had still been working on new material with the band over the summer.
Jon Brookes died in hospital on Tuesday morning with his family at his bedside.
The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess tweeted that the band was “torn apart” at the news and sent love to Jon Brookes’s family.
“Jon Brookes, my friend, our drummer and inspiration to so many, passed away this morning. We are torn apart. Love & thoughts to Jon’s family,” he said.
Tim Burgess also thanked “everyone for their messages and memories of Jon Brookes. So much love on such a sad day”.
Jon Brookes had suffered a seizure on tour with the band in 2010 and had been receiving treatment for a brain tumor
A further statement from the band read: “Jon was a brilliant drummer, an inspiration, a founding member of The Charlatans, part of our family and a friend to everyone in and around the band.
“Losing someone who was always so full of life is a tragedy that will be shared by so many. Our thoughts are with Debbie and all of Jon’s family.”
Jon Brookes was diagnosed with a brain tumor after collapsing during a Charlatans gig in Philadelphia, in the United States in 2010.
He briefly stopped breathing and was helped by a doctor attending the show, before being taken to hospital for emergency treatment.
The rest of their US tour was cancelled as Jon Brookes was flown to the UK for treatment.
Speaking afterwards Jon Brookes described how he “saw lights” in the corner of his eyes before collapsing at the concert and said he was at the “start of the long road of treatment for cancer” but was “feeling fit and positive”.
In July this year the band revealed that Jon Brookes had undergone further surgery for the brain tumor.
They said he had recovered well from the operation but would remain in hospital for additional treatment.
Jon Brookes, of Burntwood, Staffordshire, was a founding member of the band that formed in the West Midlands in 1989.
Another original band member, keyboardist Rob Collins, died in a car accident in 1996.
The Charlatans have had 22 UK top 40 hits, including The Only One I Know, Can’t Get Out Of Bed and One To Another.
Twenty people were injured, with seven being hospitalized, when a promotional stunt in Seoul for LG’s G2 smartphone went wrong, the company has said.
LG has cancelled a series of events promoting the handset as a result of the incident in Seoul on Friday.
People arrived with BB guns and knives on sticks for a race to grab smartphone vouchers hanging from helium balloons.
LG has taken responsibility for the situation and said it would cover related medical costs.
“LG Electronics deeply regrets that a number of Korean participants were injured during an outdoor promotional event in Seoul, Korea,” a statement from the company said.
“We can confirm that seven participants were hospitalized and, although none of the injuries were serious, LG takes full responsibility for the unfortunate situation and has offered to cover all related medical expenses.
People arrived with BB guns and knives on sticks for a race to grab LG G2 smartphone vouchers hanging from helium balloons
“LG is investigating the incident to ensure that such an occurrence can be avoided in the future.”
The company added that other planned events had been called off because of safety concerns.
LG released 100 helium balloons, each with a free smartphone voucher, at the so-called G in the Cloud event, which took place in an outdoor park in the South Korean capital city.
The phones, which sell for KRW 950,000 in South Korea ($851), would be given to people in possession of the voucher, the company said.
Customers arrived with BB guns to shoot down the balloons and surged forward when they were released.
One person carried a pointed staff to the event.
One regional TV channel has dubbed the scrum “World War G” – a comparison to the film World War Z in which zombies scramble over each other to climb over a wall.
The handset was released in New York last week, after weeks of build-up on social media.
It is expected to be available globally with more than 130 carriers within several weeks.
North Korea announces it has produced its first home-grown smartphone – Arirang – but experts have disputed its origins.
The Arirang handset, described as a “hand phone” in state media, was shown to leader Kim Jong-un during a factory tour.
North Korea has had a mobile network since 2008, but activity is heavily monitored and restricted.
Last year North Korea launched a tablet, but it later emerged it was likely to have been made in China.
Clues to the tablet’s origin were uncovered by Martyn Williams, an expert on North Korean technology, who noted that parts of the tablet’s software code suggested links to a manufacturer in Hong Kong.
The Arirang smartphone, named after a popular folk song, was unlikely to have been made in the country, Martyn Williams added.
He noted that actual manufacturing was shown, and that the device was “probably made to order by a Chinese manufacturer and shipped to the May 11 Factory where they are inspected before going on sale”.
Kim Jong-un demoing the Arirang smartphone, which appeared to be running a version of Google’s Android mobile operating system
Kim Jong-un was accompanied by the Korean Workers’ Party propaganda chief and the head of the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a hint that the devices could be used for widespread dissemination of government information.
The North Korean leader was seen to be demoing the device, which appeared to be running a version of Google’s Android mobile operating system.
There are no further details available about the smartphone’s exact specifications, but the KNCA reported that Kim Jong-un praised the “high pixels” of the built-in camera.
The article said Kim Jong-un had high hopes for the “educational significance in making people love Korean things”.
He advised that factory workers should “select and produce shapes and colors that users like”.
Mobile phones in North Korea have been available since 2008. The national network is maintained thanks to a joint operation by the North Korean government and Egyptian telecoms company Orascom.
Phones on the network are heavily restricted. They cannot access the internet and can only make calls within North Korea.
For a short time, foreigners in the country were able to use mobile internet, but this access was later revoked.
It is believed that many in North Korea, particular those near the borders, use illegally owned mobiles to contact people outside the country.
Being found in possession of a foreign phone would be a very serious crime.
Duck Dynasty’s producers are dishing out another family show – Porter Ridge – this time for Discovery Channel.
Porter Ridge features a tight-knit community whose code is simple: “Respect the Lord, love your family and watch each other’s backs.”
Scott Gurney, who is the executive producer for both Duck Dynasty and Porter Ridge, said he expects new show will appeal to a similar demographic.
“This is great show for families to watch,” Scott Gurney told FOX411.
“It’s a great show for all ages and for males and females. That’s one of the things that’s great about <<Duck Dynasty>>, it has such a broad audience, and I think this show will do the same thing.”
Fans of the A&E series about the Robertson family members who work together to produce duck calls has often praised the show for its good, clean message and family-friendly plot lines.
Duck Dynasty ends each episode with a prayer.
“We don’t tap into the religion as much in this show. It’s more about friendships, relationships and an older way of living… loving your neighbor.”
Still, Scott Gurney said Porter Ridge should also leave viewers with a warm, fuzzy feelings as the episodes come to an end.
Duck Dynasty’s producers are dishing out another family show, Porter Ridge
“I think that one of the big things that people love about <<Duck Dynasty>> is that it’s a positive takeaway, and I think the same thing is going to exist with this series.”
But the similarities likely end there, he declared.
“This is a different show. It’s not <<Duck Dynasty>>… It’s not so much family based and more friendship based.”
The series follows a group of friends – and rivals – living in Southern Indiana, in an area with no rules, no leaders and no streetlights. And yet, somehow everyone manages to get along.
“Cameras follow this interesting culture that if you didn’t see it on TV, you’d honestly think it doesn’t exist,” Scott Gurney said.
Scott Gurney insisted that the series is unscripted – even though it seems implausible that one of the show’s stars shares his home with eight grizzly bears.
Jeff Watson, 48, appears on Porter Ridge and spends his days with his neighbors and with his domesticated bears.
“They’ve been in my house, but they don’t stay in here all the time,” Jeff Watson said of the bears.
It is elements like his pets that make the series so dissimilar to anything else that’s on TV, Jeff Watson said.
“I don’t know if there is anything out there that I can compare this show to. I wouldn’t compare it to <<Duck Dynasty>>. So many people are making that comparison… The only similarity that I would see between our show and <<Duck Dynasty>> is funny characters,” he said.
In fact, Jeff Watson said – if anything – he thinks Porter Ridge is much more reminiscent of TV shows from an earlier time period.
“To me this show is a mixture of <<Dukes of Hazards>> meets <<Little House on the Prairie>>, meets <<The Waltons>>, meets <<Andy Griffith>>.”
And though it’s not a sitcom, Jeff Watson insisted the wholesome reality show wouldn’t be painting a picture of Indiana overall.
“We’re not trying to represent the whole state of Indiana… This is us. We’re just individuals. We’re not in any way trying to say <<this is Indiana>> or <<this is southern Indiana>>.”
Like Scott Gurney, Jeff Watson predicts the show will attract families.
“I’m sure there are people out there who would like to see a show that’s less cussing, more family values, camaraderie, rapport, relationship between the characters, not a lot of fighting between everybody… I think people are getting a little tired of too much drama and they want to see people getting along, and we get along around here.”
Porter Ridge premieres on Discovery Channel on Tuesday, August 13.
Kanye West bought two high-performance armored vehicles to protect Kim Kardashian and their baby daughter North.
Kanye West, 36, and partner Kim Kardashian, 32, were recently singled out by President Barack Obama for their opulent lifestyle warping the American dream.
Inspired by the President’s Limo One, Kanye West has reportedly spent $1.2 million each for two Prombron Iron Diamonds by Dartz Motorz.
Dartz Motorz is the Latvian company that angered PETA for featuring leather interior made from the foreskin of a whale p**is.
On the Dartz website, the Iron Diamond is said to prevent kidnapping, hijacking and “other problems which can meet rich and lonely lady on the street”.
Kanye West bought two high-performance armored vehicles to protect Kim Kardashian and their baby daughter North
Kanye West’s two-month-old daughter Nori should rest easy inside the super-SUV “built to withstand attacks from landmines and rocket-propelled grenades”.
“Kanye is fully aware that his new family is so high-profile they attract the attention of weirdos and psychopaths,” a source told the Daily Star.
“He aims to leave nothing to chance…His priority is to get delivery of the vehicles, especially Kim’s, before he begins his US tour in October.”
The 21-time Grammy winner apparently decided to beef up security for his family at Jay Z’s suggestion.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian will also reportedly employ two bodyguards and use body doubles as decoys for paparazzi.
The source ominously added: “If there have been any kidnapping threats already against their daughter, he isn’t saying. But that fear is clearly in his mind.”
According to Us Weekly, Kanye West “doesn’t leave North for more than an hour” and he tenderly “holds the baby all the time”.
Kanye West’s new album Yeezus debuted at number one in 31 countries, but due to lack of promotion the overall sales have been disappointing.
