Egypt’s interim government has been sworn in, with army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi, becoming deputy PM as well as defense minister.
Hazem al-Beblawi is the new prime minister, under the interim President Adly Mansour.
The swearing in followed another night of violence between security forces and Mohamed Morsi supporters that left seven dead.
A spokesman for Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood called the interim government “illegitimate”.
Mohamed Morsi was ousted on July 3 in what many have said was a military coup.
The army said it was fulfilling the demands of the people after mass anti-Morsi protests.
The swearing-in ceremony was shown live on state television.
Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi already held the defense portfolio, but now also becomes interim prime minister.
Mohammed Ibrahim, who had been appointed interior minister by Mohamed Morsi, keeps his post.
Egypt’s interim government has been sworn in, with army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi becoming deputy PM as well as defense minister
Nabil Fahmy becomes foreign minister and Sherif Ismail is the interim oil minister. Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, a Christian, is the interim trade and industry minister.
There are three women ministers, including Maha el-Rabat, who takes the health portfolio.
There were no posts for any figures from Islamist parties in the new government. The Brotherhood had said it would not take part.
Its spokesman, Gehad el-Haddad, told Reuters news agency: “It’s an illegitimate government, an illegitimate prime minister, an illegitimate cabinet. We don’t recognize anyone in it.”
The interim government’s transition plan will see a panel formed by next week which will draw up amendments to the constitution and a timetable for new elections.
The swearing-in ceremony comes amid continuing deadly violence.
More than 400 people were arrested and seven killed in overnight clashes in the capital, Cairo.
The battles erupted after protesters, mostly members of the Muslim Brotherhood, blocked the Sixth of October bridge, a major route over the Nile and through the capital, and the nearby Ramses Square, a transport hub.
Police fired tear gas to try to break up the blockade. Protesters responded by throwing stones. Other clashes broke out in the Giza district, in the south-west.
The head of Egypt’s emergency services, Mohamed Sultan, said two people had died on or around the bridge and five in Giza.
State media quoted health ministry official Khaled al-Khatib as saying that 261 people were injured in the clashes, which lasted into the early hours of Tuesday.
Khaled al-Khatib said 124 people were still in hospital.
Mohamed Sultan said security personnel were among the casualties.
State media later quoted officials as saying 401 people had been arrested for “provoking unrest”.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood said security forces had used live ammunition, and accused them of attacking a peaceful protest.
On Tuesday, Egypt’s military spokesman, Col. Ahmed Mohamed Ali, denied that the army had used excessive force.
Col. Ahmed Mohamed Ali said the army had handed over its political role to the new interim government, adding: “We are not seeking to rule.”
The clashes came as senior US envoy William Burns visited Egypt.
He met interim leaders but was snubbed by rival groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood.
William Burns described the events of the past two weeks as a “second chance to realize the promise of the revolution” that ended the authoritarian presidency of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Cory Monteith’s autopsy report has revealed the star died from a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol.
Glee star Cory Monteith, who was found dead in his hotel room on Saturday at the age of 31, died from a “mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol”, according to authorities.
The British Columbia Coroners Service revealed the autopsy results on Tuesday.
It follows claims Cory Monteith led a “double life” as a hard-worker when in Los Angeles, and a substance-abuser whenever he would return to his native Canada.
The BC Coroners Service added that the investigation into his death is continuing, and that no further details were available at this time.
Cory Monteith’s autopsy report has revealed the star died from a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol
It was noted that at this stage there is still no evidence to suggest that Cory Monteith’s death was “anything other than a tragic accident”.
It was also confirmed that Cory Monteith’s family have been made aware of the circumstances surrounding the death.
Cory Monteith, who checked into rehab in March, managed to stay clean while on the Glee set, but his resolve to stay sober weakened whenever he visited Vancouver, a source told TMZ.
According to sources, Cory Monteith’s girlfriend and Glee co-star Lea Michele, along with the rest of the hit television show’s cast, were aware of his addiction problems and worked hard to keep him clean and sober.
Cory Monteith allegedly never showed up for work under the influence of drugs or alcohol and abstained from these substances “most of the time”.
But his life in Canada painted a different picture.
Cory Monteith allegedly returned to his hometown of Vancouver often, and surrounded himself with friends who fueled his addiction.
Drugs and alcohol were reportedly “always involved”.
His family is said to have been aware that he reverted back to his hard-partying ways in the North American city, but they were unable to help.
Cory Monteith’s family members reportedly became “alarmed” recently at his behavior and tried to come to his aid, but he grew “distant”.
Justin Bieber is in trouble again being accused of spitting in an Ohio man’s face.
Justin Bieber, 19, allegedly confronted the man inside a bar over the weekend because he thought he was taking pictures of the singer.
Justin Bieber has been accused of spitting in an Ohio man’s face in a nightclub
“He called my mom something, called my dad something, called me something…and spit in my face,” said the man – a DJ who performed at the Social Room on Park Street in Columbus on Saturday – according to TMZ.
“Two of Bieber’s bouncers approached me and said I was trying to take pictures of Bieber,” said the man, who called in to the Dave and Jimmy radio show on WNCI to explain what happened.
The man said he thought Justin Bieber was concerned because it was an over 21 nightclub.
Justin Bieber’s bouncers grabbed his phone and started scrolling through it looking for photographs, said the man, but they didn’t find any.
And yet, the man claimed, the bouncers told Justin Bieber he was trying to take the pictures.
That’s when Justin Bieber allegedly confronted the man and proceeded to spit in his face.
According to TMZ, the man plans on filing charges and was also tested for Hepatitis, but the tests came back negative.
A spokesperson for Justin Bieber had no comment, but a source close to the popstar said: “Everything’s been going well on tour. It’s sad that people would copycat other bogus stories to gain attention for themselves.”
This isn’t the first time Justin Bieber has been accused of spitting in someone’s face.
He allegedly threatened to kill his neighbor in Calabasas before spitting at him.
Justin Bieber had been driving his Ferrari around his gated community in Calabasas a great speed when a neighbor reportedly complained.
Chaz Bono’s recent effort to lose weight and tone up has paid off as he’s been showing off a slimmer figure over the last couple of months.
Wearing a pair of bright red sports shorts, Chaz Bono, 44, looked like he was enjoying a casual day which involved a spot of shopping.
Chaz Bono’s recent effort to lose weight and tone up has paid off as he’s been showing off a slimmer figure over the last couple of months
As he retrieved a number of shopping bags from his car without his top on, his tattooed torso could be seen as well as the scars on his chest.
The only child of music legends Sonny and Cher, Chaz Bono was spotted earlier this year looking slightly worse for wear after suffering injuries whilst shedding 60 lbs of weight.
However, with the injuries behind him the Dancing With The Stars contestant certainly has managed to keep off the weight.
This has no doubt been helped by him starring in a 30 minute musical adaptation of Independence Day alongside Brooke Seguin, that certainly keeps him on his toes.
According to new reports, Glee star Cory Monteith led a “double life”.
Cory Monteith, who was found dead in his hotel room on Saturday at the age of 31, was allegedly a hard-worker when in Los Angeles, and a substance-abuser whenever he would return to his native Canada, according to TMZ.
Cory Monteith, who checked into rehab in March, managed to stay clean while on the Glee set, but his resolve to stay sober weakened whenever he visited Vancouver, a source told the website.
According to sources, Cory Monteith’s girlfriend and Glee costar Lea Michele, along with the rest of the hit television show’s cast, were aware of his addiction problems and worked hard to keep him clean and sober.
Cory Monteith allegedly never showed up for work under the influence of drugs or alcohol and abstained from these substances “most of the time”.
Cory Monteith was allegedly a hard-worker when in Los Angeles, and a substance-abuser whenever he would return to his native Canada
But his life in Canada painted a different picture.
Cory Monteith allegedly returned to his hometown of Vancouver often, and surrounded himself with friends who fueled his addiction.
Drugs and alcohol were reportedly “always involved”.
Cory Monteith’s family is said to have been aware that he reverted back to his hard-partying ways in the North American city, but they were unable to help.
His family members reportedly became “alarmed” recently at his behavior and tried to come to his aid, but he grew “distant”.
But another website claims Cory Monteith attended a number of Alcoholic Anonymous meetings shortly before he died.
A source close to the actor told gossip website RadarOnline.com: “Cory went to AA meetings when he got to Vancouver with some friends of his and mine. They have attended AA meetings in the past together.
“Vancouver is a great place to keep grounded when you are in the spotlight and trying to be sober.”
“Being grounded is the key to sobriety and that’s what Vancouver can offer Cory. It is casual and he calls it home and he has friends here who have known him for a long time.”
The insider also insisted that despite being spotted out with friends at the Portside bar in the hours before his death, Cory Monteith was not drinking.
Cory Monteith was found dead in his hotel room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver on Saturday night.
With the autopsy into his death now underway the British Columbia Coroners Service says toxicology results will not be known for several more days.
However, Sgt. Randy Fincham said there was nothing to indicate Cory Monteith’s death was due to illicit drug use.
Meanwhile, FOX officials said it is too soon to say how Cory Monteith’s death will be handled on Glee.
According to FOX news, producers are scheduling meetings to discuss how to move forward without his character, Finn Hudson.
Industry experts predict Cory Monteith’s death will have a serious effect on the hit show, which was scheduled to start shooting next month.
Swan Upping is the annual census of the swan population on stretches of the Thames in the UK’s counties of Middlesex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
This year’s Swan Upping kicked off on Monday, July 15, and will continue until Friday, July 19.
1. This historic ceremony dates from the 12th century, when the Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans. The Queen of England generally just keeps tabs on the ones living on the River Thames and surrounding areas though. Mute swans have white feathers and are known for being less vocal.
2. Until recently, the “Seigneur of the Swans” (the Queen) was the only person who could kill and eat swans. Now, nobody can do either. But as recently as a decade or so ago, killing a swan was an act of treason that could technically be punishable by death or imprisonment.
3. Swan Upping is a swan census, basically. During the celebration, all of the Queen’s swans along the River Thames are rounded up, caught, tagged and measured and then released back into the wild.
Swan Upping is the annual census of the swan population on stretches of the Thames
4.The focus of Swan Upping these days is on the cygnets. Not just because they’re super cute either, but in order to track breeding trends of the mute swans.
5. It takes place annually during the third week of July in areas like Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, among others.
6. The Queen’s Swan Marker leads the Swan Upping. The current Swan Marker is named Swan Marker David Barber, a Professor of Ornithology at the University of Oxford’s Department of Zoology. One of the biggest threats to swans these days is the increasing numbers of dog attacks. “When we have dog attacks it’s through carelessness,” said David Barber. “We are trying to stamp it out.”
7. The other swan counters (called “Swan Uppers”) wear traditional scarlet uniforms. And six traditional Thames rowing skiffs are used for the Upping, each adorned with flags and pennants.
8. Swan Uppers cry “All up!” when they spot a group of swans. The Uppers target cygnets and when they spot them, this call indicates that they need to get into position to grab and tag.
9. As they pass Windsor Castle, the Swan Uppers toast to the Queen. Queen Elizabeth is rarely ever present at the event (she’s attended once), so the rowers must stand at attention and hail Her Majesty The Queen, Seigneur of the Swans as they pass Windsor, one of the queen’s pads.
10. There was no Swan Upping in 2012. The Upping was supposed to be a part of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee tour, but due to flooding, the ceremony was cancelled for the first time in 900 years.
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Bobbi Kristina Brown, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s daughter, announced that she had got engaged to Nick Gordon just last week.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 20, already pressed fast-forward to the honeymoon as she’s been enjoying a very public PDA with her “brother” fiancé Nick Gordon in the warm Florida water.
She has been showing off her shapely body and her affection for 24-year-old Nick Gordon on her summer break.
Nick Gordon is the boy Whitney Houston took in when he was 16.
However, one person who isn’t pleased about the big announcement is Bobbi Kristina’s father, Bobby Brown.
Bobby Brown, 44, told TMZthat he’s not happy about the news and is irked that Nick Gordon never called him to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage, but he did add that he wants her to be happy.
Rather than celebrating her news, Bobbi Kristina Brown came out of the traps to defend herself last week.
Bobbi Kristina Brown announced that she had got engaged to Nick Gordon
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon’s relationship has been the subject of scrutiny and a fair amount of eyebrow raising since Whitney Houston passed away in February 2012.
And so Bobbi Kristina Brown tackled the scandal in the post on her Facebook page last Wednesday.
She writes: “YES, we me nick are engaged. I’m tired of hearing people say <<eww your engaged to your brother or if Whitney was still alive would we be together or would she approve of this>>.
“Let me clear up something, we aren’t even real brother and sister nor is he my adoptive brother. My mom never adopted him. In fact, mommy was the one who even said that she knew that we were going to start dating. My mom knows me better than any of you.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown continued: “A lot of ‘yall are saying that y’all are only saying this all out of love. Which is bull because if that was so, all you would want is for me to be happy.
“People need to seriously stop judging my relationship. Pretty sure it’s my own decision who I want to be with.
“Yes, my relationship may not be perfect. We will have rough patches, just like every other relationship.
“And we have had our rough patches. You may or may not agree with my relationship. You may or may not respect it. Judge me, go ahead.
‘Your opinions are yours and mine are mine. It is my life and not yours. The decisions I make have nothing to do with you. Goodnight.”
The global market that deals with automobile accessories is vast in size. It is spread across continents, starting from North America, the topmost name in the map of car manufacturers, crossing Europe and extending up to China in Asia. The manufacturers of car accessories have quite wisely been able to put the global economic surge into use.
Image via Flickr by Jasperdo
Automobile sales have boosted globally, that is a true story. However, the sales of car accessories have increased massively. That is the common trend throughout the world. A number of factors have contributed to this striking difference. One major factor that has contributed largely behind the boost of automobile sector in the emerging as well as the developed markets is the enthusiasm of the manufacturers of car accessories and spares. New and latest trends are being introduced at a fast rate. The cost of the vehicles is a factor that closely follows the first one. Other than investing upon new cars, which will be a costly affair, men prefer to renovate their cars using new car spares and accessories.
In nations where there is an affluent market for automobiles, people are keener on investing upon accessories and automotives. A research had once shown that the yearly expenditure made by the Australians upon car accessories is over $ 2 billion. The automotive aftermarket in Europe values up to 850 USD, which represents about 30% of the worldwide aftermarket. Moreover, as far as the recent forecasts go, the car accessories manufacturers market is going to expand its horizons as time goes by.
Image via Flickr by Crista Chevron
The carmaker giants like Ford Motor, DaimlerChrysler or General Motors, which are obviously the top three scorers, have always been striving hard to outdo each other in terms of services as well as profits, since time immemorial. The greater the competition in the market becomes, the harder do they try to outwit each other. These companies have recently been seen change direction towards the B2B market.
These firms, with all their e-business operations, which include business-to-consumer sales and marketing, business-to-business procurement, online navigational and car alarm technologies etc., are gradually and quite quickly shifting from traditional suppliers to the online arena. Just like all other offline car producers, DaimlerChrysler, has turn towards the internet in order to streamline procurement as well as sales procedures with the aim of bringing down the costs.
At the same time, the China car accessories market has multiplied six times, in the last half a decade. Quite recently the market had topped the 1 billion dollar mark and is becoming one of the most rapidly growing categories of Chinese industrial products sold internationally. While half of these auto accessories are exported to the United States, the maximum portion of the rest is sold to Europe and Japan. Thus most of the citizens of these nations buy direct automotives and car accessories.
Jennifer Richardson, the woman who has been linked to Lamar Odom, has been pictured for the first time since the scandal.
Jennifer Richardson, 29, who reports claimed has been having a close friendship with Khloe Kardashian’s husband since January 2012, was photographed outside Eden nightclub in Hollywood.
The brunette, who is not believed to live in Los Angeles, was spotted leaving the nightspot in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It is the first time Jennifer Richardson has been pictured in public since tabloids first published reports linking her to Lamar Odom, who has been married to Khloe Kardashian for four years, earlier this month.
Star magazine claimed Lamar Odom, 33, met Jennifer Richardson at the Stadium Club strip club in Washington D.C. after he played a game for the Dallas Mavericks.
The tabloid also alleged they had further encounters in North Carolina and that Lamar Odom had flown Jennifer to Los Angeles several times.
Jennifer Richardson, the woman who has been linked to Lamar Odom, has been pictured for the first time since the scandal
It said Jennifer Richardson had plane tickets, basketball game ticket stubs and invoices from her so-called time with Lamar Odom.
The publication also claimed Khloe Kardashian, 29, had kicked Lamar odom out of their $4 million Tarzana mansion in January and the pair have been sleeping in separate beds.
While Lamar Odom or Khloe Kardashian are yet to issue a formal denial, a source close to the reality star said last week: “They’re more in love than ever.
“Khloe did not kick Lamar out of the house, they are 100 per cent fine.”
Early last year, Khloe Kardashian was forced to defend her marriage to Lamar Odom after she pulled the plug on their reality show.
Khloe Kardashian told People magazine: “We just wanted to prioritize a little.
“We just wanted a little pause. Part of being married is knowing when your husband needs your support.”
Their show Khloé & Lamar was put on a break last year until his basketball career was back on track.
She added: “I’m a modern girl, but you should put your husband first. I like to think divorce is not an option.”
Responding to another report that her marriage was on the rocks earlier this year, Khloe Kardashian said: “Anyone who pays attention to these things can easily see the incredible bond that everyone in my family shares.”
Around the time the reports emerged, Lamar Odom was filmed angrily confronting a photographer who quizzed him about his marriage.
On July 10, Lamar Odom was spotted ransacking a paparazzo’s belongings and equipment from the latter’s car and throwing them on the road.
The basketball player was heard to say: “I would never cheat on my wife, that’s why I wear my wedding ring.”
Swan Upping, the ancient British tradition of counting swans along Thames River, has begun on July 15.
The ritual known as Swan Upping dates back to the 12th century when the ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water in Britain was claimed by the Crown in order to ensure a ready supply for feasts.
The ritual known as Swan Upping dates back to the 12th century when the ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water in Britain was claimed by the Crown
On the River Thames a team of boatmen called Swan Uppers have the job of corralling, catching and marking the birds on the water between Sunbury-on-Thames in Surrey and Abingdon in Oxfordshire this week.
When a brood of cygnets is sighted, a cry of ”All up” is made to signal that the boats should get into position.
The swans – usually two parent birds and three cygnets – are then weighed, ringed and checked for signs of disease or injury.
David Barber, the Queen’s Swan Marker, said ahead of the start of Swan Upping that despite the recent problems faced by nesting birds things appeared to be improving.
He said: “The Thames’ swans are nesting later than usual due to the prolonged cold spring we have experienced this year. The number of cygnets has declined over recent years, primarily due to the spring floods that washed away many nests, and of course there have been several outbreaks of duck virus enteritis which killed many breeding pairs of swans.
“Fortunately, the situation is looking more positive this year as we have received many reports of nesting pairs with eggs or cygnets.
“Late hatching can present its own problems; small cygnets are more susceptible to injuries caused by fishing tackle when the fishing season starts. However the health of cygnets will be assessed during Swan Upping week when they will be examined for any signs of injury and given treatment if necessary.”
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski was attacked with an egg by a Ukrainian man when he visited the site of a 1943 massacre of Poles in neighboring Ukraine on Sunday, police said.
The egg attack followed a move by the Polish parliament last week to recognize the massacre by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during World War Two as “ethnic cleansing bearing the hallmarks of genocide”.
The move upset Ukrainian nationalists who view the UPA as heroes and freedom fighters.
On Sunday, Bronislaw Komorowski visited the western Volyn region and attended mass at a Catholic church.
President Bronislaw Komorowski was attacked with an egg by a Ukrainian man when he visited the site of a 1943 massacre of Poles in Ukraine
As he emerged from the church “a young man from the crowd tapped his shoulder with his hand in which he was holding a crushed egg”, police said in a statement.
The 21-year-old man, a resident of Ukraine s southern Zaporizhia region, has been detained and faces hooliganism charges and up to three years in prison, they said.
It was unclear whether the man belonged to any of Ukraine s nationalist groups, the largest of which, Svoboda (Freedom) won dozens of seats in parliament last year, becoming a major political force.
Svoboda has criticized the Polish parliament s decision but said it would not seek to disrupt Bronislaw Komorowski s visit.
The territory of Volyn was long disputed by Poland and Ukraine. Historians believe tens of thousands of people died in the massacre during the wartime Nazi occupation.
Seventy years later, public opinion in Ukraine remains split on the insurgent movements which co-operated with the Nazis in hope of driving out the Soviet government and creating an independent Ukrainian state.
In the last days of his presidency in 2010, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko awarded wartime nationalist leader Stepan Bandera the title “Hero of Ukraine”.
The award was annulled by a court under his successor, current President Viktor Yanukovich.
Vladimir Putin dived to the bottom of the Baltic Sea in a mini submarine to explore a shipwreck.
The Russian president boarded an underwater research vessel to make the half-hour dive to the wreck of the frigate, Oleg, which sank in the Gulf of Finland in 1869.
Vladimir Putin boarded an underwater research vessel to make the half-hour dive to the wreck of the frigate, Oleg, which sank in the Gulf of Finland in 1869
Vladimir Putin, who is fond of presenting himself to the people as a man of action, said the wreck, found in 2003, was well-preserved.
During the trip, Vladimir Putin also spoke about the fate of Edward Snowden, the former US spy agency contractor turned fugitive secrets leaker.
The president said that Edward Snowden was shifting towards stopping “political activity” directed against the United States. He had previously refused to hand Edward Snowden over to the US authorities, but said the fugitive’s situation remained unresolved after Washington had blocked his further movement.
Vladimir Putin said that Edward Snowden should stop activity harmful to the US if he wanted refuge in Russia, but now saw signs that the former contractor with the National Security Agency (NSA) was moving in this direction.
Norwegian musician Kristian “Varg” Vikernes, who had links to mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, has been arrested in France on “suspicion he was preparing a major terrorist act”.
The French interior ministry said Varg Vikernes constituted “a potential threat to society”.
Varg Vikernes was arrested in central France after his wife bought four rifles.
Varg Vikernes was arrested in central France after his wife bought four rifles
The black-metal musician, described by French officials as a neo-Nazi, had in the past received a copy of a manifesto from Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.
Anders Behring Breivik planted a bomb in central Oslo and went on a shooting spree on the nearby island of Utoeya in July 2011. He was imprisoned for the maximum 21-year term last year.
An official at the Paris Prosecutor Office said Anders Behring Breivik sent a copy of a manifesto setting out his ideology to Varg Vikernes, who is also a convicted murderer.
The official said: “There were several suspicions that made the services fear he could possibly carry out a violent act.”
Varg Vikernes was arrested along with his wife, a French national, in Correze, a region in central France.
Police sources said officers were searching their home for weapons and explosives.
Officials say Varg Vikernes’ wife had a legal firearms permit when she bought the four rifles.
Varg Vikernes was convicted in 1994 of stabbing a man to death in Oslo and burning down several churches.
He was released in 2009 and moved to France with his wife and three children.
On his website, Varg Vikernes discusses Anders Behring Breivik’s manifesto, but also criticizes him for killing innocent Norwegians.
Anders Behring Breivik’s 1,500-page manifesto outlined his planned crusade against Muslims, who he said “were taking over Europe and could only be defeated through a violent civil war”.
Edward Snowden has applied for temporary asylum in Russia, officials say.
The Federal Migration Service confirmed he had completed the relevant paperwork at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, where he has been for the past three weeks.
Edward Snowden has applied for temporary asylum in Russia
Whistleblower Edward Snowden, 30, is wanted by the US for leaking details of government surveillance programmes.
He has no travel documents, so he has been unable to take up asylum offers from a number of Latin American states.
Edward Snowden’s application for temporary asylum was completed with the help of Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, who has strong links with the Kremlin.
Anatoly Kucherena said the fugitive had stated in the application that he faced possible torture and execution if he returned to the US.
According to Russian officials, Edward Snowden might be moved to a facility in the airport for accommodating refugees while his application was processed.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has refused to hand over Edward Snowden to the US authorities, but also said that he could only stay in Russia if he stopped leaking secrets about US surveillance schemes.
B-37 – the juror who wanted to pen a book- is a white woman who volunteers rescuing animals. She is married to an attorney and has two adult children. She said she and her husband used to have concealed weapons permits. During the last round of questioning, she said she had an issue with the type of weapons people are allowed to carry. She also thought weapons’ training was inadequate for people seeking permits. “It should become harder,” she said.
B-51 is retired, unmarried and doesn’t have kids. She has lived in Seminole County for nine years working in real estate and run a call center where she said she had experience resolving conflicts. When asked if George Zimmerman did something wrong by following Trayvon Martin instead of waiting for police, she said: “Yeah, I guess he did do something wrong.”
A six-woman jury acquitted George Zimmerman of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in a gated community in Sanford, Florida
B-29 recently moved to central Florida from Chicago. She enjoys watching the Real Housewives on television and works as a nurse on an Alzheimer’s section of a nursing home. She said she hadn’t paid much attention to the shooting. She said she has been arrested, but her case was dropped. It’s not clear why she was arrested or exactly what happened to her case, though she said she was treated fairly. She is married and has several children. A prosecutor described her as “black or Hispanic” during jury selection.
B-76 is a white woman who has lived in central Florida for 18 years. She manages rental properties with her husband of 30 years. She has two adult children, including one who is an attorney. She is involved with rescuing animals in her free time. During jury selection, she said she had been the victim of a nonviolent crime. “Everyone deserves a fair trial,” she said.
E-6 is a white woman who is married and has two children. She has worked in financial services and has lived in Seminole County for two years. She is active in her church and involved with her children’s school. During jury selection, she said she didn’t know the facts of the case well.
E-40 is a white woman who works as a safety officer and recently moved to Seminole County from Iowa. She describes herself as a football fan. During jury selection, she said she had been the victim of a nonviolent crime.
Juror B37 in the George Zimmerman trial has revealed that at no point did the largely-white all-female jury consider the motivation behind the killing of Trayvon Martin.
The woman, identified only as Juror B37, said that they believed that it was a “tragedy” that came from George Zimmerman going too far but said that the former neighborhood watchman’s “heart is in the right place”.
Juror B37 told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that George Zimmerman made some poor decisions leading up to the shooting, but that Trayvon Martin wasn’t innocent either.
“I think both were responsible for the situation they had gotten themselves into,” said the juror, who was planning to write a book about the trial.
“I think they both could have walked away.”
The woman also said that she felt it was clear that the 17-year-old threw the first punch: “Trayvon decided that he wasn’t going to let (George Zimmerman) scare him… and I think Trayvon got mad and attacked him.”
When asked by Anderson Cooper if she would feel comfortable having George Zimmerman patrolling her neighborhood, she said that while Trayvon Martin’s death was tragic, it would serve as a learning experience.
“I would feel comfortable having George, but I think he learned a lesson,” she said, hesitating slightly.
“I think he’d be more responsible than anyone else on this planet right now.”
Hours after the interview with Anderson Cooper aired, the literary agent who agreed to represent the juror announced that she withdrew her services.
“After careful consideration of the book project with Zimmerman #JurorB37, I have decided to rescind my offer of representation,” agent Sharlene Martin said via Twitter.
Sharlene Martin also put out a statement from the juror herself, who said: “This potential book was always intended to be a respectful observation of the trial from my and my husband’s perspectives.”
“Now that I am returned to my family and to society in general, I have realized that the best direction for me to go is away from writing any sort of book and return instead to my life as it was before I was called to sit on this jury.”
In the CNN interview, Juror B37 said Sanford Police Detective Chris Serino made a big impression on her, because he would have been accustomed to dealing with murders and similar cases.
He would have known how to spot a liar, and yet he testified that he believed George Zimmerman, the juror said.
Legal analysts agreed that Chris Serino’s testimony was a blow to the state’s case.
The juror was not impressed by the testimony of Rachel Jeantel, who was talking with Trayvon Martin by cellphone moments before he was fatally shot by George Zimmerman in February, 2012.
“I didn’t think it was very credible, but I felt very sorry for her,” the juror said.
“She didn’t want to be there.”
The juror also commented on defense attorney Don West’s knock-knock joke about knowing who George Zimmerman was during opening statements.
“The joke was horrible. Nobody got it,” she said.
The interview came two days after the six-woman jury acquitted George Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch activist, of second-degree murder in the shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
Trayvon Martin was black, and George Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.
George Zimmerman was not arrested for 44 days, and the delay in charging him led to protests from those who believed race was a factor in the handling of the case.
While prosecutors accused George Zimmerman of profiling Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman maintained he acted in self-defense.
The juror said she didn’t think Trayvon Martin’s race was the reason that George Zimmerman followed him. She said she also believed Trayvon Martin threw the first punch and that George Zimmerman, whom she referred to as “George”, had a right to defend himself.
Juror B37 in the George Zimmerman trial has revealed that at no point did the largely-white all-female jury consider the motivation behind the killing of Trayvon Martin
“I have no doubt George feared for his life in the situation he was in at the time,” the juror said.
Juror B37 also outlined to CNN the process she and the other five jurors went through in their deliberations.
She said they spent the first day electing a foreman and getting organized. She said the jury instructions weren’t immediately clear and the evidence was in no order whatsoever.
George Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, but the jury also was allowed to consider manslaughter.
Based on an initial vote, three – including B37 – were in favor of acquittal, two wanted manslaughter and one wanted second-degree murder.
Juror B37 said the jury started going through all the evidence, listening to tapes multiple times.
“That’s why it took us so long,” B37 said.
When they started looking at the law, the person who initially wanted second-degree murder changed her vote to manslaughter, the juror said.
Then they asked for clarification from the judge and kept going over it again and again. B37 said some jurors wanted to find George Zimmerman guilty of something, but there was just no place to go based on the law.
B37 said jurors cried when they gave their final vote to the bailiff.
“I want people to know that we put everything into everything to get this verdict,” said the juror, who appeared to become emotional during the interview.
“We thought about it for hours and cried over it afterwards,” she said.
“I don’t think any of us could ever do anything like that ever again.”
Martin Literary Management announced Monday that it is representing B37 and her husband, who is an attorney.
The names of the jurors have not been released, but during jury selection it was disclosed that B37 works in an unspecified management position and has two adult children.
In a statement initially released Monday morning, Martin Literary said the book would focus on what it is like to be sequestered and why B37 felt she had no choice but to acquit George Zimmerman. The agency said it is approaching several publishers.
In a separate interview, Rachel Jeantel was asked by CNN’s Piers Morgan whether she thought race was a factor in George Zimmerman’s decision to follow Trayvon Martin prior to their fight.
“It was racial,” she said.
“Let’s be honest. Racial. If he were white, if Trayvon was white and he had a hoodie on, what would happen?”
She noted that the altercation happened in the early evening, when many people are out walking their dogs or doing other things.
Piers Morgan played back a recording of the juror’s comments about Rachel Jeantel’s education level and speech, and the witness said it made her sad and angry.
Rachel Jeantel, who is black, said she also had a feeling that the jury would return a not-guilty verdict.
“They’re white,” she said of the jury at one point.
“Well, one Hispanic. But she’s stuck in the middle. I had a feeling it was going to be a <<not guilty>>.”
While the court did not release the racial makeup of the jury, the panel appeared to reporters covering jury selection to be made up of five white women and a sixth who may be Hispanic.
Juror B37 signed the deal with her attorney husband and Martin Literary Management president Sharlene Martin, MediaBistro reported.
In previous reports, B-37 has been identified as a white woman who volunteers at an animal shelter and who is married to an attorney with two adult children.
During her voir dire – in which attorneys question would-be jurors to determine if they are suitable to take part in a case – reveals that she called Trayvon Martin “a boy of color” when asked to describe him.
She added that his killing was “an unfortunate incident that happened” and said she believed there were riots in Sanford, Florida after the killing – which is not the case.
She was also vocal about her hate of the media – saying she refused to read newspapers as they were skewed.
Literary agent Sharlene Martin originally said that now-defunct book would explain why the group of six women reached the decision to acquit the former neighborhood watch volunteer.
“My hope is that people will read Juror B37’s book, written with her attorney husband, and understand the commitment it takes to serve and be sequestered on a jury in a highly publicized murder trial and how important, despite one’s personal viewpoints, it is to follow the letter of the law,” she said.
She added that the book has the potential to open discussions about how laws might need to be revised in order to fit with modern society.
“The reader will also learn why the jurors had no option but to find Zimmerman Not Guilty due to the manner in which he was charged,” she said.
The juror is choosing to remain anonymous and it is unknown if they will conduct interviews as the project proceeds due to the reaction to the verdict.
Sharlene Martin has represented books written by high-profile writers, including Honor Bound by Raffaele Sollecito and Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story by Shanna Hogan, due out in September.
Mystery still surrounds the identities of the jury members and there is still no indication of how long the six women, known only to the public as B76, B37, E6, B29, E40 and B51, will remain anonymous.
Jurors refused to talk to reporters about how they reached their decision on Saturday after they received numerous interview requests from media outlets.
Their names are being kept secret until Judge Debra Nelson lifts an order protecting their identities.
Attorneys have argued that the names should not be kept secret.
In June, the judge ruled they would remain anonymous for an unspecified period after the verdict and George Zimmerman lawyer Mark O’Mara argued they should be kept secret for six months after the trial.
Speculation also surrounds whether or not George Zimmerman himself will pen a book revealing his experiences. The AP suggested he could make money from the project or from a lawsuit he brought against NBC last year after it allegedly edited his 911 tapes to make him look like a racial profiler.
Following his acquittal on all charges, George Zimmerman will spend no time behind bars.
But the Department of Justice could file criminal civil rights charges, and George Zimmerman may face civil lawsuits from the family of Trayvon Martin, who was unarmed at the time of his death last year.
The verdict has sparked uproar across the U.S., with Trayvon Martin supporters claiming that the killing was racially motivated as they stage massive protests across cities from New York to Los Angeles.
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has announced his country has seized a North Korean-flagged ship carrying “undeclared military cargo”.
Ricardo Martinelli told local media that the ship, which was sailing from Cuba, contained suspected “sophisticated missile equipment”.
He posted a photo of what looked like a large green object inside a cargo container on his Twitter account.
Ricardo Martinelli said the ship, which was searched on its way into the Panama Canal, was being held for further investigation.
The ship was stopped near Manzanillo on the Atlantic side of the canal.
Ricardo Martinelli said the authorities were checking the ship for drugs when they found the suspected weapons in containers of brown sugar.
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli said the North Korean ship, which was sailing from Cuba, contained suspected sophisticated missile equipment
“We’re going to keep unloading the ship and figure out exactly what was inside,” he told local media.
The 35-member crew have been detained, including the captain who the Panamanian president said tried to kill himself during the search.
Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino said the ship “aroused suspicion by the violent reaction of the captain and the crew”.
Under UN sanctions, North Korea is banned from weapons exports and the import of all but small arms.
Sanctions were strengthened after its third nuclear test on February 12, including measures increasing states’ authority to inspect suspicious cargo.
In recent years a number of North Korean ships have been searched under the UN sanctions.
In July 2009 a North Korean ship heading to Burma was tracked by the US navy on suspicion of transporting weapons and subsequently turned around.
North Korea has an ongoing missile development programme.
In December it launched what it called a three-stage rocket to put a satellite into space. The move was condemned by the United Nations as a banned test of missile technology.
Experts believe the communist state is working towards developing a nuclear warhead small enough to put on a long-range missile.
Seven Egyptian protesters have been killed in Cairo in overnight clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
Police used tear gas to drive back protesters, some hurling rocks, who had blocked a main route in the capital.
The clashes came as senior US envoy William Burns visited Egypt, saying it had been given a “second chance” at democracy.
William Burns met interim leaders but was snubbed by rival groups, including Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood.
Mohamed Morsi was ousted on July 3 in what many have said was a military coup. The army says it was fulfilling the demands of the people after mass anti-Morsi protests.
Monday’s battles erupted after hundreds of protesters, mostly members of Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood Islamist movement, blocked the Sixth of October bridge, a major route over the Nile and through the capital, and the nearby Ramses Square, a transport hub.
Police fired tear gas to try to break up the blockade. Protesters responded by throwing stones. Other clashes broke out in the Giza district, in the south-west.
The head of Egypt’s emergency services, Mohamed Sultan, said two people had died on or around the bridge and five in Giza.
State media quoted health ministry official Khaled al-Khatib as saying 261 people were injured in the clashes, which lasted into the early hours of Tuesday.
Khaled al-Khatib said 124 people were still in hospital.
Mohamed Sultan said security personnel were among the casualties.
Members of the Brotherhood said security forces had used live ammunition, and accused them of attacking a peaceful protest.
Seven Egyptian protesters have been killed in Cairo in overnight clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi
“We were praying. Suddenly there was shouting. We looked up and the police were on the bridge firing tear gas down on us,” protester Adel Asman told Reuters news agency.
State media later quoted officials as saying 401 people had been arrested for “provoking unrest”.
The latest clashes are the most violent since last week, when more than 50 Morsi supporters were killed in fighting with troops outside the Republican Guard compound, where they believe the former president is being held.
The interim government has since announced its transition plan. A panel is to be formed by next week to draw up amendments to the constitution and a timetable for new elections.
But the Brotherhood has said it will not join a transitional government.
Mohamed Morsi supporters are demanding his reinstatement and have been holding a round-the-clock vigil outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, in the east of the capital, and at Cairo University in Giza.
Large crowds were again gathered at the mosque on Monday as William Burns, the US deputy secretary of state, visited.
“Get out, Sisi,” some shouted, referring to the head of the armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who oversaw the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi.
William Burns met interim President Adly Mansour and Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi, as well as Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
He described the events of the last two weeks as a “second chance to realize the promise of the revolution” that ended the authoritarian presidency of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
William Burns called on the military to avoid “politically motivated arrests”, saying the US remained committed to an Egypt that was “stable, democratic, inclusive and tolerant”.
But he insisted the US had “not come to lecture anyone. We will not try to impose our model on Egypt.”
The envoy’s comments come amid what correspondents say is an increasing antipathy towards the US among Egyptians on both sides of the political divide.
The US has stopped short of calling the army intervention a coup – doing so would trigger a legal stop of the some $1.5 billion in the mostly military aid it sends to the country each year.
But it has called for Mohamed Morsi to be released. He is being held at an undisclosed location and is being investigated on charges including inciting violence. A number of Brotherhood members have been arrested and warrants have been issued for many more.
William Burns said he planned to meet religious and civilian leaders, the heads of political parties and business figures during his two-day visit.
But both the ultra-conservative Salafi al-Nour party and the Tamarod anti-Morsi protest movement turned down invitations to meet William Burns, while the Muslim Brotherhood also said it had no plans to see him.
“Such kind of visit doesn’t mean anything for us because we believe that America supported this military coup,” said Dina Zakaria, a member of the Brotherhood and its political wing the Freedom and Justice Party.
Islam Hammam, a Tamarod organizer, said the movement had turned down the invitation to talks with William Burns “because the United States did not stand with the Egyptian people from the beginning.”
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, one of the world’s most notorious drug-gang leaders, has been captured by Mexican marines in a raid near the US border.
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, 40, head of the Zetas cartel, was intercepted with two lieutenants in a pick-up truck near Nuevo Laredo.
Mexican officials said he had eight guns and $2 million in cash.
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, infamous for his brutality, was wanted on both sides of the border for ordering massacres and running drugs on a global scale.
He took control of the Zetas following the death of group founder Heriberto Lazcano in October 2012.
His is the highest-profile arrest since President Enrique Pena Nieto came to office last December.
Enrique Pena Nieto promised to change the policy of the previous government by tackling cartels through law enforcement on a local level rather than the capture of big-name targets.
Ex-President Felipe Calderon had deployed the army across the country and pursued cartel leaders.
Although the policy eliminated many senior criminal figures, it also created power vacuums that helped fuel the violence.
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, one of the world’s most notorious drug-gang leaders, has been captured by Mexican marines
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales Trevino Morales, known as “Zeta-40”, was captured outside Nuevo Laredo, near the US border at dawn on Monday, government spokesman Eduardo Sanchez told a news conference.
“Three people in the truck were detained by ground troops, who had arrived to support the naval forces, who had carried out the detention via the helicopter. Not a single shot was fired,” he said.
It is thought the authorities were acting on a tip-off.
The Zetas began as the enforcement arm of the Gulf cartel, another powerful criminal gang.
They were made up of defectors from an elite military unit and quickly became known for their brutality.
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales was unlike most of the Zetas because he was a civilian who worked his way up through the ranks.
The Zetas split from the Gulf cartel in 2010, sparking brutal turf wars across northern Mexico.
By 2012, they were reputed to be the largest and most powerful cartel.
But expert Alejandro Hope says the arrest is another step towards the destruction of the Zetas as a coherent organization.
“There will still be people who call themselves Zetas, bands of individuals who maintain the same modus operandi,” said Alejandro Hope, a former member of Mexico’s domestic intelligence service.
Analysts say Miguel Angel Trevino Morales’ younger brother, Omar, has been one of his closest lieutenants and may try to position himself as successor.
The Mexican authorities fear that the arrest could lead to a period of in-fighting between different Zeta factions.
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales is believed to be responsible for ordering two notorious attacks on migrants from other Latin American countries.
In 2010, he allegedly ordered the torture and murder of 72 Central American migrants as punishment for their refusal to act as drugs mules.
A year later, he apparently oversaw the massacre of almost 200 immigrants for similar reasons.
Before he became the group’s overall leader, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales co-ordinated the gang’s important Nuevo Laredo drug corridor into the US, the region in which he was finally apprehended.
He is also believed to have controlled a squad of killers who operated in the US state of Texas.
The US authorities had offered $5 million reward for any information leading to Miguel Angel Trevino Morales’ capture, making him one of the world’s most-wanted drug traffickers.
The Cuckoo’s Calling – JK Rowling’s “secret” crime novel – has topped book charts after it was revealed she had written it under a pseudonym.
Harry Potter novelist JK Rowling published The Cuckoo’s Calling as Robert Galbraith.
The crime novel had sold fewer than 500 copies before the secret emerged in the Sunday Times, according to Nielsen BookScan’s figures.
Within hours, the book rose more than 5,000 places to top Amazon’s sales list.
The digital version is now also at number one in the iTunes book chart.
The book was published by Sphere, part of Little, Brown Book Group which published JK Rowling’s first foray into writing novels for adults, The Casual Vacancy.
The Cuckoo’s Calling, JK Rowling’s “secret” crime novel, has topped book charts after it was revealed she had written it under a pseudonym
Little, Brown’s David Shelley confirmed to The Bookseller the publisher had ordered an “immediate reprint” with the number not yet confirmed.
JK Rowling said she had “hoped to keep this secret a little longer”.
The author described “being Robert Galbraith” as “such a liberating experience”.
A spokesman for bookseller Waterstones said: “This is the best act of literary deception since Stephen King was outed as Richard Bachman back in the 1980s.”
One reviewer described The Cuckoo’s Calling as a “scintillating debut”, while another praised the male author’s ability to describe women’s clothes.
Crime writer Peter James told the Sunday Times: “I thought it was by a very mature writer, and not a first-timer.”
Fellow crime author Mark Billingham, who reviewed the book ahead of its publication in April, said he was “gobsmacked” at the revelation.
The fictitious Robert Galbraith was supposed to have been a former plain-clothes Royal Military Police investigator who had left the armed forces in 2003 to work in the civilian security industry.
However a clue that JK Rowling was behind the novel was that she and Robert Galbraith shared an agent and editor.
In previous interviews, JK Rowling has said she would prefer to write novels after Harry Potter under a pseudonym.
Another Cormoran Strike book by Robert Galbraith is in the pipeline, to be published next year.
Cory Monteith’s autopsy that was scheduled to take place today will now be delayed, it has been reported.
Cory Monteith, 31, was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday.
Cory Monteith’s autopsy that was scheduled to take place today will now be delayed
The British Columbia Coroner’s office toldUsWeekly that they “definitely” will not have toxicology and autopsy reports for Cory Monteith on Monday.
As for when the reports will be released, the Coroner’s office said: “We might well have an update tomorrow, but final cause of death might be several days or even a couple of weeks after that.”
According to E!, the results were going to be fast-tracked “due to intense public interest”.
Cory Monteith and his girlfriend Lea Michele were planning to move together before his death, it has been reported.
Cory Monteith was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday, but prior to his sudden passing he was reportedly making arrangements to move into his Glee co-star Lea Michele’s Los Angeles home, although the couple – who had been dating for more than a year – were not talking about marriage.
Cory Monteith and his girlfriend Lea Michele were planning to move together before his death
An insider told Us Weekly: “Lea and Cory were planning on moving in together after he got back from Vancouver.
“[Lea Michele and Cory Monteith] weren’t talking engagement or marriage yet but it was heading that way.
“The first step was Cory was going to move in [to Lea Michele’s L.A. home] completely. He was already there all the time.”
Cory Monteith and Lea Michele – who is “devastated beyond belief” about her boyfriend’s death – were said to be more in love than ever just before he died and planning a happy future together.
The source added: “They were 100 percent happy and together and in love at the time of his death.
“They never broke up.”
Meanwhile, it has also been reported that Cory Monteith’s autopsy that was scheduled to take place today will now be delayed.
Miley Cyrus was seen arriving in New York on Monday on her way to Good Morning America wearing a tight-fitting black Chanel dress.
Miley Cyrus’ bright red lipstick and trademark blonde buzz cut gave an edgy addition to the otherwise elegant outfit.
Miley Cyrus shows off her engagement ring on Good Morning America
She then chose a revealing cutout ensemble for her appearance on the show as she sat alongside Ryan Seacrest and Karl Urban.
The 5’5″ singer was seen trying to hide her face at one point with a Honey Boo Boo sign that read “no way” on it.
However, once on the show Miley Cyrus, 20, appeared to be in a joyous mood and proudly showed off her engagement ring, confirming reports that all is still well between her and fiancé Liam Hemsworth.
Miley Cyrus, 20, and Liam Hemsworth, 23, were recently pictured looking happy and relaxed as they posed for a picture together after going hiking at the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta.
Earlier this year, Liam Hemsworth helped fuel the rumor fire that they had split, when he suddenly flew out to Australia to be with his family on March 2.
Miley Cyrus was then seen partying around Hollywood without her Niel Lane diamond stunner.
But Miley Cyrus took to Twitter to assure fans she was not calling off her relationship to Liam Hemsworth and explained she had to take the ring off.
An international group of scientists have solved the mystery of a genetic flaw which greatly increases the risk of obesity in one in six people.
A version of an obesity gene, called FTO, had been linked to a bigger belly, but the reason why was uncertain.
A study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed FTO gene made fatty foods more tempting and altered levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin.
Obesity experts said drugs targeting ghrelin might reduce weight gain.
There is a strong family link with obesity, and a person’s genetic code is thought to play a major role in the risk of them becoming overweight.
People have two copies of the FTO gene – one from each parent – and each copy comes in a high and a low-risk form. Those with two-high risk copies of the FTO gene are thought to be 70% more likely to become obese than those with low-risk genes.
But no-one knew why.
FTO gene made fatty foods more tempting and altered levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin
A team, led by researchers at University College London, tested two groups of men. All were a normal weight, but one group had the high-risk FTO genes and the other was low risk.
The first tests looked at levels of the hormone ghrelin either side of a meal in 10 men from each group.
Levels of the hormone, which makes people hungry, did not fall as far in the high-risk patients after the meal. Their ghrelin levels also began to climb more quickly.
In separate tests, a series of brain scans after a meal showed further differences between the two groups. Men with the high-risk genes found pictures of high-fat foods more appealing than the low-risk men.
Dr. Rachel Batterham, the head of the centre for obesity research at University College London, said: “Their brain is set up to be particularly interested in anything to do with high-calorie food.”
She said they were “biologically programmed to eat more”.
Dr. Rachel Batterham said understanding how FTO affected the odds of becoming overweight would help patients.
She said exercise such as cycling was an excellent way to lower ghrelin levels and there was a significant amount of research from pharmaceutical companies working on the hormone.
Dr. Rachel Batterham added: “Also protein meals do lower ghrelin more, so anything that suppresses ghrelin is more likely to be effective in FTO patients.”
The FTO mutations were probably life-saving at one point in human history when piling on the pounds in the summer would help people survive the winter.
Blackberry and Microsoft have both cut prices on their flagship products in a bid to boost sales.
In the US, Blackberry has cut the price of the Z10 phone to as low as $49 with a contract – down from $199 four months ago.
In the UK, Microsoft dropped the price of the 32GB Surface RT to £279 ($438) from £400 ($628), with the 64GB model’s price down by the same amount to £359 ($564).
Both companies have developed the devices to show off their latest software.
And both have tried to compete with Apple, Google and Samsung on smartphones and tablets – with limited success.
In the US, the cheapest Surface tablet went down to $349 from $499.
Blackberry in particular is battling to revive its share of the smartphone market with the touchscreen-only Z10, which shows off its new BB10 operating system.
Blackberry has cut the price of the Z10 phone to as low as $49 with a contract, down from $199 four months ago
Users can get the Z10 through US carriers AT&T and Verizon Wireless, for $99 with a two-year contract, but the phone costs $49 with a contract at retailers Amazon and Best Buy.
The company reported an $84 million loss for its last quarter and refused to say how many devices running BB10 it sold – but it sold fewer phones in those three months than in the same period the year before.
Blackberry has said it shipped one million Z10s in the first three months of 2013.
Microsoft’s Surface tablet is intended to challenge the iPad and Android-based tablets and runs Windows RT, a slimmed-down version of its latest Windows 8 operating system.
Recent figures from analysts IDC show that 49.2 million tablets shipped in January, February and March – and about 900,000 of those were Surfaces.
Other Windows-powered tablets totaled 1.8 million units sold across all vendors. Apple’s iPad and iPad Mini accounted for 19.5 million of tablets sold.
“We’ve been seeing great success with pricing and cover promotions over the past several months on Surface RT in the US and other markets,” a Microsoft spokeswoman said.
“People who buy Surface love Surface, and we’re excited about all those additional people out sharing their excitement for Surface with other people.”
Microsoft also offers the Surface Pro, which runs the full version of Windows 8 and starts at $899 for the 64GB model. It has not had its price cut.
