Tens of thousands of Turks have staged a third day of protests across the country with police again using tear gas and water cannon in some areas, including in Istanbul, where crowds had converged on the prime minister’s office.
The protests were sparked by plans to build on Istanbul Gezi Park but have broadened into anti-government unrest.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the protesters are undemocratic, and said the development will go ahead.
He has accused opposition parties of provoking the demonstrations, which represents the most sustained anti-government unrest for a number of years.
Interior Minister Muammer Guler told state media more than 1,700 people had been arrested during protests in 67 cities, though many had since been released.
Hundreds of people are reported to have been injured in the clashes.
Protests over the demolition of Gezi Park to make way for the rebuilding of an Ottoman era barracks, reportedly to house a shopping centre, began on a small scale earlier this week.
Protesters said the park was one of the few green spaces in Istanbul, and were angry at the loss of public space for commercial purposes.
But after police used tear gas and water cannon were used to break up the protests, triggering accusations of excessive force, the numbers in Taksim Square, next to the park, rocketed.
Clashes break out near PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office
Ten of thousands of people took to the streets of towns and cities, many calling on the government to resign.
Police pulled out on Saturday afternoon, reportedly after President Abdullah Gul urged restraint, and by Sunday there was a carnival atmosphere.
But clashes continued, including in the Besiktas district, where police fired tear gas against protesters, some of whom built barricades or threw stones at Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Istanbul office.
In Ankara, police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters who were attempting to march on the prime minister’s office there.
There were further reports of tear gas in Izmir, on the Aegean coast, and in Adana in the south.
The protests reflect the public’s anger with the Turkish government, which they believe is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
They fear Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) is trying to impose conservative Islamic values on the officially secular country and infringe on their personal freedoms.
Last week the government quickly passed legislation curbing the sale and advertising of alcoholic drinks, which analysts say alarmed secularists.
Many felt insulted when he defended the legislation by calling people who drink “alcoholics”.
In a televised interview on Sunday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in power since 2002, denied accusations of being a dictator, saying he was “a servant of the people”.
He said the protests were being provoked by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), and that those taking part were trying to undermine democracy, dismissing them as “a few looters”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also criticized social media, through which the protests have been co-ordinated and discussed, calling Twitter a “curse” and an “extreme version of lying”.
The crackdown has been condemned by rights groups and by the US.
McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson has claimed he lost 20 lbs in weight, despite eating from the chain’s menu every day.
Don Thompson said he regularly worked out at a gym to lose the pounds but did not stop wolfing down the fast food meals whenever he could.
But his claims were met with skepticism on Twitter with some branding it the “McDiet” and asking him to “prove it”.
Last week McDonald’s unveiled its most unhealthy item ever, the Mega Potato, which is a double size portion of fries. At 1,142 calories Mega Potato is more than half the recommended daily calorie intake for a woman.
Don Thompson said he shed the weight over the course of a year by getting up early in the mornings and going to the gym.
The fast food boss insisted he still ate at McDonald’s ‘every single day’, although he did not specify what he chose from the menu.
He admitted that despite McDonald’s trying to rebrand itself as healthier, its salads make up only 2-3% of sales.
But the McDonald’s CEO claimed the company was making efforts to include more vegetables in its meals.
Don Thompson, who has been on the job for less than a year, was responding to a question about how the company is adapting amid growing concerns about obesity when he pointed out his slimmer frame.
McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson has claimed he lost 20 lbs in weight, despite eating from the chain’s menu every day
He said that he lost the weight by getting active again and noted that it’s rare to see Europeans that are “very, very heavy” because they walk a lot.
“And so I think that balance is really important to people,” he said.
“I don’t see salads as being a major growth driver in the near future,” Don Thompson told investors in New York this week, according to Bloomberg News.
It’s no wonder the salads have failed to lure health conscious diners when they are often as fat-laden as a Big Mac and boast names such as Bacon Ranch and Southwest Crispy Chicken.
In comparison to poor salad sales, the restaurant’s Dollar Menu generates 13-14% of U.S. business, he said.
However, Don Thompson claims the company isn’t giving up on selling fruit and vegetables. For instance, some of McDonald’s new McWraps have tomato, cucumber slices and shredded lettuce inside, he said.
McDonald’s first added tossed salads to its U.S. menu in 1987.
Bloomberg News reported earlier this month that it is considered ditching Caesar salads after it already got rid of Fruit & Walnut salads from its menu this year.
McDonald’s shares fell more than 2.2% to close at $98.28 on Wednesday, after the announcement. At one point they declined as much as 2.9% for the biggest intraday drop since October 19 and they continued to fall on Thursday.
The shares gained 15% this year through to Tuesday. In comparison, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 16%.
The chain announced it was axing its Fruit & Walnut salad in March after competitors Burger King Worldwide Inc and Wendy’s Co began closing the gap with McDonald’s.
McDonald’s, the world’s biggest hamburger chain for years, held a huge lead against most rivals, but some of those chains now are luring away diners with fast-changing menus featuring tempting new food.
Dita Von Teese is the biggest name in the burlesque scene thanks in part to her stunning raven hair and porcelain complexion, but before her rise to fame, she was a tanned and bottle blonde all American girl.
Dita Von Teese, 40, tweeted a handful of pictures from her high school yearbook.
“Found a box of photos of me from my freshman and sophomore year in high school,” she tweeted her fans along with the snaps.
In the photos, Dita, born Heather Renee Sweet in Rochester, Michigan, has big Eighties bleach blonde hair and a penchant for the era’s fashion.
In one particular image of Dita in her younger years, she bares her midriff in a black bralet top which she pairs with voluminous parachute trousers and a matching jacket.
Her look is very reminiscent to that of Jennie Garth’s when she played Kelly Taylor in the hit TV series, Beverly Hills 90210.
Dita Von Teese as blonde girl before her transformation into burlesque brunette bombshell
Her skin tone is also very tanned, several hues darker than her current alabaster complexion.
These days Dita Von Teese stays away from the sun, recently explaining: “Alabaster skin is the perfect base for a vintage look. I’d never dream of getting a tan – I always wear sunscreen and put on a hat when I’m out in the sun.”
Back to her vintage snaps, and a very blonde Dita Von Teese is also photographed in two prom dresses.
Far from the stunning couture and vintage dresses she wears these days, her formal wear for her younger years is a poofy and frilly lavender creation which she pairs with a floral crown in her hair.
In another snap, Dita Von Teese then steers towards black velvet accessorized with pearls.
In all of the photographs it is clear that Dita Von Teese used to go for the more pared back appearance when it came to her make-up.
It is a far cry from her current look – her visage always completely made up with dark eyebrows, heavy black eyeliner and bright red lips.
Two years ago Dita Von Teese even told the New York Times Style magazine that she uses Just For Men hair dye to achieve raven eyebrows.
Dita Von Teese these days isn’t a fan of the all natural look, and the high maintenance star recently admitted that the number of beauty products that she uses regularly goes in to the hundreds.
The burlesque queen admitted she is such a beauty junkie that she couldn’t live without any of the multiple cosmetics and haircare products which she uses to achieve her glamorous retro look.
Jockey International has introduced JOCKEY Bra, which is based on a brand new sizing system focused on breast volume rather than the rigid cup and band measurement system currently used in the industry.
Instead of the typical A, B, C, D, etc, cup, Jockey’s Volumetric Fit System measures the volume and shape of a woman’s breast plus an under-bust measurement, with the volumetric sizes running from 1 through to 10. The new system has 55 size combinations, and promises to address the long-bemoaned problem of ill-fitting bras.
Cup sizes currently are based on two measurements – the breast at its fullest point, minus the rib cage measurement. If it’s a one-inch difference, it’s an A cup; a two-inch difference, a B cup, and so on. Jockey International says this equation doesn’t account for volume and different breast shapes.
Bra sizes also vary widely from one manufacturer to another, and from country to country, and women’s bodies and breasts often don’t conform to the arbitrary sizes offered by companies. These are the problems Jockey is seeking to solve.
“It took us eight years to develop the new Jockey bra and its revolutionary Volumetric Fit System,” said Sally Tomkins, Jockey’s senior vice president of design, research and development.
“Through our research, and countless hours of testing and talking with women, we are confident we are answering women’s desire for the perfect-fitting bra.”
The Volumetric Fit System can be ordered from Jockey.com for $19.95 which can be redeemed as a $19.95 discount off the price of a bra. It comes in a small mesh bag and contains 10 plastic molded cups in different sizes, a measuring tape and a booklet of instructions and bra styles.
Women using the system should select a cup that looks closest to their size and place it over their breast. The cup that fits is the one with the best coverage, with no gaps or “spillage”.
Next, use the color-coded measuring tape to take a direct measurement of the under-bust area. There are seven different band sizes (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 or 42).
The new measuring system would result in sizes such as 1-30, 7-36 and 9-42.
Jockey’s Volumetric Fit System measures the volume and shape of a woman’s breast plus an under-bust measurement
Jockey says that in contrast with the 80-year-old alphanumeric measuring system which is a pure mathematical equation, the new system takes into account the volume of a woman’s breast rather than just her measurements.
Bra shopping is notoriously traumatic, with research showing 75% of women have trouble finding a bra that fits properly and a staggering 85% are wearing the wrong sized bra.
“Women also dislike the bra shopping experience due to the overwhelming number of bra choices, lack of attentive service, and complexity and variance of proper sizing,” says the Jockey website.
According to research on Jockey’s website, 53% of women have never been professionally fitted for a bra.
The JOCKEY Bras themselves come in five different styles so far: Classic Contour, Tailored Contour, Double-Lined Contour, Classic-Soft Cup and Double-Lined Soft Cup and they each come in black, white and nude colors. Jockey has also pledged not to discontinue any of its bra styles.
The JOCKEY Bras come with a patented “3-D Contour support” replacing the underwire, which “supports, cups and shapes the breast without any poking, giving women an exceptionally comfortable fit”.
Bra cup sizes as we know them were invented in 1932, and band sizes became popular in the 1940s. The sizes have barely changed since then, though the range has expanded along with the general population’s weight.
The originator of the bra was Parisienne Madaleine Gabeau, who received a U.S. patent on 21 November 1911 for a bra with soft cups and a metal band supporting and separating the breasts.
With a price tag of $60, it remains to be seen whether or not the JOCKEY Bra and sizing system will catch on, but new adopters can rest assured that the company has a money-back satisfaction guarantee on its new bras.
Angelina Jolie opted to miss her aunt’s funeral so she could jet to the UK to support Brad Pitt at the premiere of his new movie World War Z, making her first appearance on the red carpet since revealing double mastectomy.
Angelina Jolie, 37, kept to her promise and was one of the big names who walked the special black carpet at the event.
The actress opted to co-ordinate with her man as they both arrived to rapturous claps and screams, both wearing matching black.
Angelina Jolie wore a floorlength Yves St Laurent dress, while Brad Pitt looked dapper in a suit with a casual T-shirt underneath.
Just a few days ago it was revealed Angelina Jolie had chosen to miss her aunt’s funeral as it clashed with the premiere.
Angelina Jolie – who recently revealed she underwent a double mastectomy after she was identified as carrying the BRCA1 cancer gene – lost her aunt Debbie Martin, 61, last week following a battle with breast cancer. The actress said she cannot make the funeral in San Diego on Sunday June 2 because she will be in London.
Debbie Martin’s husband Ron told E! News ahead of the premiere: “We are making the final arrangements for the funeral as we speak. But we expect it to be this Sunday at noon at El Camino Memorial in Sorrento Valley near our home.
“Angelina will be in London on Sunday so she won’t be able to attend but she has been in touch with us and with various other members of the family, which has obviously been lovely and has meant a lot to us.”
And it seems Angelina Jolie is now fighting fit after making the difficult decision to undergo the operation.
Angelina Jolie makes her first appearance on the red carpet since revealing double mastectomy at Brad Pitt’s London premiere of World War Z
Angelina Jolie, who oozed confidence at the bash, said she was “feeling great” as she walked the black carpet with Brad Pitt.
“I’m here for Brad. I’m so proud of him,” she said.
The actress said she was “proud” of the response to her article about cancer preventative surgery.
“If it did some good then I’m pleased,” Angelina Jolie said as she walked into the Empire cinema wearing a floor length Yves. St Laurent black silk gown.
The actress spent twenty minutes signing autographs. She joked: “I’m a director,” as she took cameras from fans and took their photographs and video shots.
One fan handed her a fluffy teddy and later she gave it to Sophie Martinez, aged 4, who promptly burst into tears.
“It’s a nice teddy,” Angelina Jolie told her soothingly.
Sophie Martinez’s parents Douglas and Tatiana, Brazilian students living in Putney, said they were so touched by Angelina Jolie’s gesture towards their daughter.
Jessica Chastain, however, skipped the carpet to attend the film. She and Brad Pitt were in The Tree of Life together.
Brad Pitt told BBC News as he spoke ahead of the screening: “I think it’s pretty much the most intense film you’re going to see all summer.”
The night before, on Saturday, Brad Pitt made an impromptu visit to the first preview screening of World War Z in one of the Empire’s smaller screening auditoriums.
He told the audience: “This has been a long time coming.”
Brad Pitt was clearly referring to the film’s problematic production with costs rumored to be in the two hundred million dollar plus range.
He added: “I’m willing to bet that this is the most intense film you’ve seen all summer.”
A Hepatitis A outbreak across five states traced to an organic frozen berry mix sold at Costco left thirty people have been infected, and nine of them hospitalized.
And health officials are bracing for more cases if cafes and restaurants that bought the frozen blend used it to make smoothies, frozen bar drinks and other desserts for customers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have linked the reported illnesses to Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend, a mix of berries and pomegranate seeds produced by Townsend Farms in Oregon.
The first victim got sick on April 29 with the most recent case reported on May 17, although USA Todayreports more are expected.
The victims, aged between 25 and 71 years old, live in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California.
About 11 of 17 of those infected said they bought the berry mix at Costco, according to CNN.
A Costco spokesman saidthat the company has removed the product from stores and is attempting to contact members who purchased the product in recent months.
A Hepatitis A outbreak across five states traced to an organic frozen berry mix sold at Costco left thirty people have been infected, and nine of them hospitalized
Townsend Farms lawyer Bill Gaar said the frozen organic blend bag included pomegranate seeds sourced from Turkey, and were only used in the product associated with the outbreak.
“We do have very good records, we know where the (pomegranate seeds) came from, we’re looking into who the broker is and we’re sourcing it back up the food chain to get to it,” Bill Gaar
said.
He said Townsend Farms believes Costco is the only customer who bought the product but are checking to see if any other retailers also sold it.
CNN reports state health departments, the FDA and the CDC are investigating, after notifying Townsend Farms on Thursday and sending investigators to the Fairview farm.
Hepatitis A is a highly infectious disease which inflames the liver, and is usually transmitted via contaminated food or water, or by someone who is infected.
The Mayo Clinicwebsite states: “Mild cases of Hepatitis A don’t require treatment, and most people who are infected recover completely with no permanent liver damage.”
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) says severe infection can lead to liver failure and death, with about 1.4 million cases of Hepatitis A annually worldwide.
Hundreds of homes have been evacuated across southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland as rivers reach dangerously high levels.
The Czech capital Prague is on high alert as a swell of floodwater moves in from the south.
Both Germany and Austria are deploying their armies to help emergency services.
A man was killed by a landslide near Salzburg in Austria and two people have died in the Czech Republic.
The Czech government has declared a nationwide state of emergency.
The Czech deaths came after floodwaters destroyed flimsy country cottages. Two more people are missing in the country after their raft overturned on a swollen river.
Firemen in Czech Republic capital have been putting up metal flood barriers and volunteers filling sandbags as the River Vltava is due to reach peak levels in Prague some time on Monday morning.
Czech PM Petr Necas has called a special cabinet session to co-ordinate the emergency response.
Hundreds of homes have been evacuated across southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland as rivers reach dangerously high levels
Authorities believe the river in Prague will not reach the levels it did in 2002, when parts of the city were devastated, but will still be high enough to cause severe damage.
Bavaria’s flood alert service warns that the forecast of continuing heavy rain is likely to worsen the flooding affecting the Danube and the Inn, among other rivers in the area.
The German cities of Passau and Rosenheim have declared a state of emergency.
Authorities in Passau, which lies at the confluence of three rivers in Bavaria, say they expect the Danube to reach 10.5m by Sunday evening and have requested help from the German army.
Bavaria is not the only German state to be affected; towns and cities in Saxony, Thuringia and Baden-Wuerttemberg are also inundated.
The Munich-based newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports that the German army is to be deployed in Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia to support the flood-affected areas.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has discussed the floods in phone calls with the premiers of Bavaria and Saxony, the paper says.
Near the Austrian city of Salzburg a man was found dead after being swept away as he worked to clear a landslip.
Two further people are missing in the Salzburg area, according to Austrian media. A third is missing in Vorarlberg.
The Austrian army was called in to help civil authorities in the settlement of Taxenbach, south of Salzburg. Their main task was to clear landslides and make roads passable.
Parts of the Pinzgau region, which includes Taxenbach, have been declared a disaster zone.
Turkish protesters have returned to the streets of Istanbul and capital Ankara after two days of unrest that have seen more than 1,700 arrests.
Largely peaceful protesters waved flags in Istanbul’s Taksim Square but there were reports police had fired tear gas in Kizilay Square in Ankara.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said protesters were trying to undermine democracy.
The protests began over redeveloping a park near Taksim Square but broadened into anti-government unrest.
The protests represent the most sustained anti-government unrest for a number of years.
Correspondents say many people are fed up with the government, which they believe is becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to take away some of their personal freedoms.
Early on Sunday morning, there had been some isolated clashes around the streets of Istanbul.
But the atmosphere later in the day was calmer and largely peaceful, with demonstrators milling about between burnt-out cars and gathering around fires.
There were music concerts in Taksim Square throughout the day, and that the thousands of protesters still there were calling for the gathering to remain peaceful. There was no apparent police presence.
One protester, Akin, told Reuters: “We will stay until the end. We are not leaving. The only answer now is for this government to fall. We are tired of this oppressive government constantly putting pressure on us.”
Turkish protesters have returned to the streets of Istanbul and capital Ankara after two days of unrest
More than 1,000 protesters also gathered in Kizilay Square in Ankara on Sunday, with reports police had fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse them.
The police reportedly responded after protesters moved towards the office of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In an interview on state television on Sunday, the Turkish prime minister said the protests were being provoked by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), and that protesters were trying to undermine democracy.
“They have been removing pavestones and breaking the windows of local stores. Is this democracy?” he asked, dismissing the protesters as “a few looters”.
He rejected accusations that he was a “dictator”, saying he was a person who had “committed himself to serving his nation”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also criticized social media, through which the protests have been co-ordinated and discussed. He said Twitter was a “curse” and an “extreme version of lying”.
“I think social media as a whole is a pain in the side of society,” he said.
On Saturday, the prime minister had admitted there had been “some mistakes, extremism in police response”, but accused his opponents of using the anger over the Gezi Park issue to stoke up tensions.
Istanbul mayor Kadir Topbas tried to ease the tension, telling a local television station that “we have learnt our lesson”.
He regretted “not informing the people enough” about the Gezi Park redevelopment.
Shop owners, city workers and protesters have begun cleaning up after Friday and Saturday’s unrest and removing graffiti from walls and windows.
Interior Minister Muammer Guler said 90 demonstrations had taken place in 48 cities after the protests spiraled.
He said more than 1,700 people had been arrested – many had since been released but others would be put on trial, he told the Anatolia news agency.
Muammer Guler said one of the injured civilians was being treated in an intensive care unit at an Istanbul hospital.
Amnesty International claimed two people had been killed and more than 1,000 injured, though there was no confirmation of those figures.
Amnesty’s Europe director John Dalhuisen said: “The excessively heavy-handed response to the entirely peaceful protests in Taksim has been truly disgraceful.”
The US also expressed concern over Turkey’s handling of the protests.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power since 2002, and is expected to run for the presidency in 2014.
Some in Turkey have complained that his government is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruling AK Party has its roots in political Islam, but he says he is committed to Turkey’s state secularism.
Andorra has decided to introduce a tax on personal income for the first time as the country faces pressure from its European neighbors to tackle tax evasion.
Antoni Marti, the head of the Andorran government, told French President Francois Hollande that he will introduce a bill before June 30, 2013.
The principality will “gradually meet international tax standards”, according to the office of the French president.
There is currently no income tax applied to individuals or corporations.
Antoni Marti, the head of the Andorran government, told French President Francois Hollande that he will introduce a bill for income tax before June 30, 2013
EU finance ministers have agreed to start talks with Andorra – along with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino – on swapping bank account information.
Recently, the European Commission told the European Parliament it wants EU-wide exchange of all types of income data as part of the fight against tax evasion.
EU tax authorities already automatically exchanged information for income such as employment, pensions and insurance but not for income such as dividends and capital gains.
Tax evasion costs EU states 1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) a year, more than was spent on healthcare in 2008, the Commission has said, and some MEPs are calling for a Europe-wide blacklist of tax havens.
President Francois Hollande was meeting with Antoni Marti in Paris in his role as one of the two co-monarchs of Andorra, which is situated in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain.
More recently, France’s Socialist government was hit by a scandal, as former minister Jerome Cahuzac was forced to resign over tax fraud allegations. He later admitted that he had hidden about 600,000 euros in a Swiss bank account.
Alexandra Kinova has given birth to quintuplets in the Czech Republic, officials say, a first for the country.
Alexandra Kinova, 23, had four boys and a girl by caesarean section on Sunday, they say.
The births took place “without any complications”, according to doctors at Prague’s Institute for the Care of Mother and Child.
The mother and babies were placed in an intensive care unit but are believed to be in a good condition.
Alexandra Kinova has given birth to quintuplets in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic’s first quintuplets, who were conceived naturally without IVF, have a 95% chance of growing up healthy, the Associated Press quoted Zbynek Stranak, chief doctor at the neonatal section of the institute, as saying.
The boys’ names are reportedly Deniel, Michael, Alex and Martin, while the girl is called Terezka.
Alexandra Kinova, who is from the town of Milovice, about 12 miles north-east of the capital, Prague, already had one son.
She originally believed she was pregnant with twins, but in March doctors upped it to four – and then five in April.
The father of the quintuplets was present at the delivery despite his train being delayed, according to the newspaper Ceske Noviny.
“I was crying all the way since I feared I would not manage it,” he said.
The board of Dell has recommended that shareholders should accept an offer led by the company’s founder Michael Dell to take the firm private.
It called on shareholders to approve his $24.4 billion buyout offer at a vote on July 18.
The board said it was the “best alternative available”.
Investor Carl Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management – who own a combined 12% of Dell – oppose the buyout and have made an alternative offer.
Michael Dell and private equity group Silver Lake have offered $13.65 per share in cash to shareholders in return for taking the company private, which would see the company delisted from the stock exchange.
The offer price values Dell 37% higher in terms of market capitalization than in January, before Michael Dell’s buyout plan emerged.
Michael Dell has pledged to shift the business away from PCs into mobile devices and business software.
“A sale to the Michael Dell/Silver Lake group… is the best alternative available,” the board wrote in an open letter to shareholders on Friday.
The board of Dell has recommended that shareholders should accept an offer led by the company’s founder Michael Dell to take the firm private
“In a challenging business environment it offers certainty and a very material premium over pre-announcement trading prices.
“Having conducted a thorough and probing review of Dell’s challenges and opportunities, we believe that the risks and uncertainty of a standalone public company are high and that the transaction we have negotiated offers superior value for Dell stockholders.”
Carl Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management have offered an alternative that would give Dell shareholders $12 per share in cash or additional shares. While this is a lower figure than Michael Dell’s offer, it would allow investors to retain their stake in the company.
A committee of Dell board members evaluating this offer has said it needs more information.
Dell has seen its profits fall amid declining sales of personal computers as more consumers shift to smartphones and tablets.
The 18 of July shareholders’ meeting will take place at Dell’s headquarters in Texas.
According to recent figures, the US consumer spending fell in April, for the first time in nearly a year.
The Department of Commerce said consumer spending fell 0.2% in April.
Analysts had expected a rise of 0.1%, which was the change seen in March. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of US economic activity.
Spending was held back by weaker demand for utilities and less money being spent on petrol, following a fall in the price of fuel. Tax increases may also have hit spending.
An increase in social security payments has reduced the take-home pay of workers. A person earning $50,000 a year has about $1,000 less to spend a year because of the increase in the social security taxes. A household with two highly paid workers has up to $4,500 less.
Also, because petrol prices declined sharply in March and April, the amount of money consumers were spending at fuel stations fell.
Figures showed that household income was unchanged last month, after a 0.3% rise in March and 1.2% gain in February.
The US economy has also been hit by government spending cuts, which took effect at the beginning of March.
The US consumer spending fell 0.2 percent in April 2013
Figures released on Thursday showed that the US economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.4% in the first three months of the year, down slightly from the original estimate of 2.5%.
The rate of growth is expected to slow in the current quarter, because of the impact of federal spending cuts and continuing weakness in the global economy.
However, there could be some relief later in the year.
House prices have risen 11% over the past 12 months, which could spur spending. Some economists contend that for every dollar rise in the value of house prices, consumer spending can rise by as much as 10 cents.
In addition, the slow, but steady, improvement in the employment figures in the US could also provide support to consumer spending. Figures due out next week are expected to show that 165,000 jobs were created in May.
Kelly Brook has finally retaliated at love rival Katie Price as the bitter war of words between the enemies intensifies.
Labelling Katie Price “desperate” and claiming the 35-year-old star has been “threatening” her via text message, Kelly Brook seemed to have got wind of the fact that the pregnant mother-of-three was planning on doing a “kiss and tell” on Danny Cipriani over the weekend.
Branding the move “hilarious”, Kelly Brook, 33, slammed Katie Price for being “one of many” when she briefly dated Danny Cipriani in October 2011.
Writing on her Twitter page in a series of posts, Kelly Brook said: “@MissKatiePrice Your doing a Kiss&Tell on Danny?? Haha that’s hilarious you dated for 5mins and was one of many at that time. Desperate.
“@MissKatiePrice I saw the texts you sent him threatening me. So yes I’ve seen the messages. Will happily call you. DM me.”
While Katie Price is yet to respond to the tweet, it would seem the feud between the warring pair is set to continue for a while longer.
Glamour model Katie Price upped the spat earlier this week by warning Kelly Brook that her boyfriend will never be faithful to her.
Katie Price, also known as Jordan, reignited her war of words with the TV presenter on Twitter on Tuesday night, claiming Danny Cipriani is always trying to contact her, just days after Kelly Brook mocked her recent marriage to Kieran Hayler on Celebrity Juice.
The 35-year-old mother-of-three lashed out at Kelly Brook, writing: “@IAMKELLYBROOK pick up the phone if you hav a prob instead of hiding behind a tv screen to bully me!
“@IAMKELLYBROOK ask danny about his emails & texes sent to me behind your back which will show you kieran agrees he will never be faithful.”
Katie Price’s comments come after Kelly Brook made fun of her third marriage on Celebrity Juice on Thursday, when host Keith Lemon asked the panel: “What did Katie Price do for her husband on their wedding day?”
Kelly Brook replied: “Did she burn my calendar hanging on his wall?”
When a fan tweeted Katie Price about the joke, she replied: “I’m sure kelly wouldn’t be laughing if I said the things Danny Cip said to me about her in the bedroom when I was with him hahaha (sic).”
Kelly Brook then hit back and implied that she was still in touch with Danny Cipriani, when he briefly dated Katie Price in October 2011, despite living with then-boyfriend Thom Evans at the time.
She wrote: “No but I did laugh when he turned up at my house driving your car the next day 😉 I don’t think you know anything.”
Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani on holiday in Tobago
On Tuesday night, Katie Price thanked Kelly Brook for confirming that Danny Cipriani had driven her car “without a license and insurance”.
She then teased fans that she would reveal all about her brief fling with the rugby player in her upcoming autobiography.
But Kelly Brook had been ignoring Katie Price’s last comments, instead choosing to post pictures of her holiday with Danny Cipriani instead – until now.
The models have been embroiled in a bitter feud since Kelly Brook reunited with Danny Cipriani in February and Katie Price called her a “heffer”.
She added: “Rumor has it she’s been hanging out with our mutual ex Danny Cipriani. Knowing him, I guess she’s probably been doing a bit of comfort eating.”
Kelly Brook and Katie Price seemed to have reached a ceasefire recently after weeks of trading barbs. However, the rift between the pair is well and truly back on, and seems to have reached a new level after the latest bout of tweets started last weekend.
When someone tweeted Katie Price telling her she was being “mugged off hard” by Kelly Price’s comments, she responded: “I’m flattered she must be obsessed with me as has to keep mentioning me.”
When one Twitter user included Kelly Brook and Katie Price’s handles in her message, it ended up creating an online dialogue between the rivals.
On Friday night, Katie Price initially refrained from replying to Kelly Brook’s comment directly, she did retweet a comment from a follower suggesting Kelly should keep quiet.
The tweet, by @TysonPrice4 read: “@IAMKELLYBROOK Why don’t you leave @MissKatiePrice name out of you’re mouth u stupid b**ch !!!”
Katie Price briefly dated Danny Cipriani in October 2011, (during a break from ex-fiance Leandro Penna) who has since reunited with Kelly Brook in February this year.
Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani originally dated from 2008 until 2010, before she went on to have a two year romance with his former Wasps teammate Thom Evans.
However, Kelly Brook returned to her ex just weeks after splitting from Thom in January 2013.
The row between Katie Price and Kelly Brook kicked off in February this year, when the former accused the brunette model of looking heavier after seeing photos of her shooting her New Look swimwear campaign in Miami.
She wrote her column in The Sun: “The pictures of Kelly modelling her latest New Look swimwear range in Miami don’t seem to be airbrushed and I’m FLABbergasted to see how big Kelly really is. You’re a heffer (sic), Kelly, but still a hot one.”
She even suggested Kelly Brook was “comfort eating” because she was seeing her ex-boyfriend Danny Cipriani again.
Soon after, Kelly Brook responded, accusing the mother-of-three of being “rude”.
Kelly Brook said: “I actually wish her all the best. It’s sad isn’t it? I think it’s a bit sad… I think girls can get away with having a bit of meat on our bones; I don’t mind a wobbly arm or a bit of cellulite.”
However, a few days later, Kelly Brook couldn’t resist making a pop of Katie Price on Celebrity Juice, when she compared her to the character Magda from the hit movie There’s Something About Mary.
When asked by host Keith Lemon what she would do if Katie Price was there, she replied: “What, Magda from There’s Something About Mary?”
Magda was the fiftysomething, sun-worshipping next door neighbor of Cameron Diaz’s character Mary in the hit 1998 comedy.
Played by actress Lin Shaye, she was known for her bleached blonde hair, permatan and caked on make-up… not unlike Katie Price.
That fired up Katie Price even more, who posted a zoomed-in photo of Kelly Brook’s na**d breasts, which had been taken on holiday in St Barts in 2008.
However, Kelly Brook responded with another dig a few weeks later on the ITV2 show, when she played a game where an image of Katie Price’s swimsuit-clad figure had been projected over her.
Unaware of Katie Price’s body being projected across the green screen she had stuck her head through, Kelly Brook eventually realized who she was supposed to be and asked: “Do I talk a lot of s**t?”
Madonna was campaigning for female empowerment across the globe at the 2013 Sound Of Change concert, but fans seemed more fixated on her “swollen” face as she took to the stage at London’s Twickenham Stadium on Saturday night.
Within moments of Madonna appearing in front of a crowd of thousands, audience members took to Twitter to slam her somewhat puffy-faced look as she presented a segment of the charity gig.
Madonna’s look was all the more obvious thanks to her conservative ensemble, which saw her cover up from head to toe in a black high-necked sweater and matching trousers.
Wearing her honey blonde locks pulled back from her face, Madonna’s facial features were clear to see.
One fan wrote on Twitter: “Madonna, please stop messing with your face. It used to be a lovely face and now it’s looking weird.”
While one viewer stated: “Madonna looks absolutely ridiculous these days. Why on earth would anyone want to do THAT to their face?”
And although fans seemed thrilled to see Madonna, 54, support such a worthwhile cause, some admitted they were a little distracted by her puffy-faced appearance.
One wrote: “Brava Madonna at #Chime for speaking out (I’m trying not to be distracted by how much work she’s had on her face).”
While one viewer implored: “Madonna leave your face alone.”
Madonna swollen face at Sound Of Change 2013 concert
But it didn’t seem as though the star cared too much about her appearance as she received a rapturous applause from the packed-out stadium as she called on her fans to start a “revolution of love”.
Madonna said: “I keep telling people I want to start a revolution, but my revolution doesn’t involve bloodshed and violence. My revolution starts with education. My revolution is about achieving a higher level of consciousness, but this cannot start without education.
“We cannot change this world, nor begin to treat each other with human dignity, without an education. Let tonight be the beginning of this revolution because education is not a luxury, it is a basic human right.
“I invite you all to join my revolution of love. Join me tonight. The revolution of love starts here. I believe my girls out there deserve the best education. They deserve the best in health. And I believe in justice for my girls everywhere.”
Madonna has previously insisted she hasn’t undergone any cosmetic procedures, but would not rule it out in the future.
The star said: “I am what I am. And I don’t like the idea of someone putting you to sleep then taking knives to you.
“I am not going to hold a press conference if I have plastic surgery. But I’ve said many times, I think about it and I sure don’t rule it out.”
The Sound Of Change concert was part of Gucci’s new global campaign for girls’ and women’s empowerment, and is being broadcast across six continents to over 150 countries, with more than one billion people expected to see it in total.
The charity has put on the concert in conjunction with the Chime For Change initiative, which aims to raise awareness of education, health and justice for women everywhere.
Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Rita Ora were among the stars taking to the stage to perform for at the star-studded event, while the likes of Blake Lively, Jessica Chastain and Ryan Reynolds presented segments of the gig.
Matt Smith is to leave his role in Doctor Who at the end of this year
Matt Smith is to leave his role in Doctor Who at the end of this year, the BBC has announced.
After four years as the Time Lord on Doctor Who, viewers will see Matt Smith’s Doctor regenerate in the 2013 Christmas special.
Matt Smith, 30, said working on the show had been “the most brilliant experience”.
Doctor Who marks its 50th anniversary in November with a special episode, which Matt Smith has already filmed.
Matt Smith’s “spectacular exit” was yet to be revealed and would be “kept tightly under wraps”.
He first stepped into the Tardis as the 11th Doctor in 2010. Taking over from David Tennant, he was the youngest actor to play the role of the Doctor.
Speaking after the announcement, Matt Smith said he was “incredibly proud” of what the show had achieved over the last four years under Steven Moffat, the show’s lead writer and executive producer.
Matt Smith also thanked fans around the world for their “truly remarkable” dedication to the show.
During his tenure, Matt Smith’s floppy-haired, bow tie-wearing Time Lord has fought enemies such as the Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels and the Silence.
His Doctor has shared his adventures with Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently, Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman).
Referring to his time-travelling companions, Matt Smith said: “It’s been an honor to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the Tardis for a spell with ‘the ginger, the nose and the impossible one’. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go…”
Show runner Steven Moffat said: “Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me. The way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry – I just never knew what was coming next.
“The Doctor can be clown and hero – often at the same time – and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently. And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him – sometimes literally – his behavior was always worthy of the Doctor.”
Steven Moffat added: “Great actors always know when it’s time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break as we say goodbye to number 11. Thank you Matt – bow ties were never cooler.”
The announcement of Matt Smith’s exit is likely to spark months of fevered speculation about his replacement.
“Somewhere out there right now – all unknowing, just going about their business – is someone who’s about to become the Doctor,” Steven Moffat hinted.
“A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again. After 50 years, that’s still so exciting.”
Matt Smith’s first adventure in April 2010, the Eleventh Hour, saw his newly-regenerated Doctor crash his Tardis into the garden of a young Scottish girl who was later to become his new companion – Amy Pond.
In his most recent adventure, the Name of the Doctor – which aired two weeks ago – Matt Smith’s Time Lord visited his own grave on the planet Trenzalore.
In 2011, Matt Smith became the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.
And he won the most popular male drama performance award at the National Television Awards in 2012.
Born in Northampton in 1982, Matt Smith studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia.
He made his TV debut in the 2006 adaptation of Philip Pullman’s the Ruby in the Smoke, which starred former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper.
Matt Smith’s stage work has included stints with theatre companies such as the Royal Court and National Theatre. His West End debut was in Swimming With Sharks opposite Christian Slater.
During his time in Doctor Who, Matt Smith also appeared in TV films Christopherand His Kind, in which he played novelist Christopher Isherwood, and in Olympic rowing drama Bert and Dickie.
Michael Adebolajo has been charged with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London, on May 22.
Michael Adebolajo, 28, of Romford, Essex, was also charged with the attempted murder of two police officers and possession of a firearm.
He has been remanded in custody to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday.
Michael Adebowale, 22, has already been charged with the soldier’s murder and appeared in court on Thursday.
Michael Adebowale, of Greenwich, south-east London, was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey, London, on Monday.
He was charged after spending six days in hospital, having been shot by police and arrested following the attack on May 22.
Michael Adebolajo, who was also shot and arrested at the scene, was charged after spending nine days in hospital and taken into custody at a south London police station.
Both Michael Adebowale and Michael Adebolajo were filmed and photographed by witnesses following the attack, which took place on a busy street during the afternoon.
Michael Adebolajo has been charged with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich
On Wednesday, a post-mortem examination found Drummer Lee Rigby, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, died of “multiple incised wounds” after the attack.
Thousands of flowers have been laid at the scene of the killing by members of the public in honor of Drummer Lee Rigby.
The total number of arrests made in connection with the attack stands at 12. So far, eight of those arrested have been bailed and two released without charge.
Meanwhile, far-right and anti-fascist groups have held rival demonstrations in central London amid increased tensions following Drummer Lee Rigby’s murder.
Police said 58 members of Unite Against Fascism had been arrested at a counter-protest sparked by a British National Party demonstration in Westminster. All were arrested for breaches of the Public Order Act.
On Friday, Drummer Lee Rigby’s family appealed for calm after reports of a rise in anti-Muslim incidents following the killing.
In a statement, his family said Lee Rigby would not have wanted his death used to excuse reprisal attacks, and called for people to “show their respect in a peaceful manner”.
Complex magazine named Rihanna number one on its 100 Hottest Women Right Now list, released this week.
The publication, which Rihanna covered in January, credited her busy year as the main attribute to her hotness.
Deeming Rihanna’s seventh Grammy Award win for her We Found Love music video as her greatest accomplishment this year, Complex never once mentioned her oft-revealed killer body as one of the qualities that made her the hottest.
Complex magazine named Rihanna number one on its 100 Hottest Women Right Now list
Rihanna, 25, has been touring in Barcelona as of Saturday.
The singer tweeted a picture of herself with Brigitte Bardot-esque new blonde locks, saying: “It’s about that time #BARCELONA.”
In the image, Rihanna peered through her newly short fringe that she parted in the centre, and large barrel curls flowed around her face.
Rihanna launched her world tour back in March, taking overseas in May and continuing with dates in the UK, France, Netherlands and ending in Australia and New Zealand in October.
The tour, which is Rihanna’s fifth since releasing her first single Pon De Replay in 2005, features specially designed couture by Givenchy, Christian Dior, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin.
Bruce Jenner, Kim Kardashian’s stepfather, revealed he has only met Kanye West once.
Bruce Jenner, 63, admits that he doesn’t know Kanye West well because he has barely been around during Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy.
“[I’ve] only met him once,” Bruce Jenner told Extra.
“Yeah, he’s not around, he was in Paris the whole time writing, and he just hasn’t been around.”
Kim kardashian, 32, has also failed to introduce her boyfriend of more than one year to her step-brother Brody Jenner, who is joining their show Keeping Up With The Kardashians this season.
“I’ve never met [Kanye West],” Brody Jenner said.
“But everyone in the family says great things about him.”
But Kanye West, 35, is set to make a brief appearance at Kim Kardashian’s baby shower in Beverly Hills on Sunday alongside her younger sister Khloe’s husband Lamar Odom and her older sister Kourtney’s boyfriend Scott Disick.
“It’s girls, but Kanye will come at the end,” Khloe Kardashian revealed to Us Magazine.
Bruce Jenner revealed he has only met Kanye West once
“I said I want Rob [Kardashian] to be there the whole time because I feel bad he’s like left out of all this stuff. So I said come the whole time, but I don’t know if he is.”
Khloe Kardashian continued, adding that Kanye West hasn’t really assimilated himself with the family: “I think Scott and Lamar might bring Kanye at the end, because Kanye feels it’s a little weird if he’s the only guy.”
While men aren’t traditionally included in the pregnancy milestone, rumors were sparked last month that Kim Kardashian had to beg Kanye West to attend her upcoming baby shower because it will be highlighted for an E! special.
And while Kim Kardashian has been busy filming the eight season ahead of her July due date, Kanye West has yet to make an appearance as he is adamant about keeping his life details private.
It was previously revealed that Kanye West wants his girlfriend of more than a year to quit reality TV because he thinks it is a waste of time.
A source previously said: “Kanye doesn’t want to film the show anymore. And he doesn’t want Kim to do reality TV either. He’s pushing her to stop.
“Kanye wants to be in control of his image, not at the mercy of show producers. The Kardashian show hurts his cool image.”
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have also expressed resistance to raising their child-to-be in front of the cameras, but Kim seems to be pulling back at the restriction.
In a recent sit down with The Times magazine, she declined to give a straight answer as to whether she will be including her newborn in any upcoming episodes.
“I don’t think so. Not as of now,” she wavered.
Khloe Kardashian, 28, was quick to clarify, adding that the possibility of having the Kimye baby on the show could be a very real one.
Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are leaving American Idol after one season as judges on the talent show.
The announcement comes in the same month as original judge Randy Jackson also left the panel.
Nicki Minaj told her 16 million Twitter followers: “Thank you American Idol for a life changing experience! Wouldn’t trade it for the world! Time to focus on the Music!!! Mmmuuuaahhh!”
Mariah Carey’s departure was also announced on Twitter.
Her spokesperson said the singer was now working on a world tour.
Mariah Carey, 43, and Nicki Minaj, 30, joined country singer Keith Urban and Randy Jackson for the show’s 12th season.
It is unclear whether Keith Urban will return for the show’s next series.
Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are leaving American Idol after one season as judges on the talent show
Mariah Carey reportedly earned $18 million while Nicki Minaj’s salary was reported to have been $12 million.
American Idol‘s ratings fell to their lowest point in 12 years this series with 14.2 million watching the season finale, which was won by Candice Glover.
Fox, which broadcasts the show, said Mariah Carey was a “true global icon” and that they felt “extremely fortunate” that she was part of the show.
In a joint statement with American Idol‘s production company, FremantleMedia, the network added: “Nicki Minaj is a superstar who brought a level of honesty and passion to American Idol and who had a tremendous positive impact on so many contestants this season.
“Given her extremely busy career, we understand and respect her decision and wish her the best.”
Turkish police have pulled out of Istanbul’s Taksim Square which has become the focus of the largest anti-government protest in years.
Thousands of people are in Taksim Square after days of unrest sparked by plans to redevelop nearby Gezi Park.
In recent days police have fired tear gas and water cannon several times to break up the demonstrations.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said police may have used excessive force but that the park development will go ahead.
Earlier on Saturday, he called for an end to the protests, saying Taksim Square “cannot be an area where extremists are running wild”.
In a defiant speech to the exporters’ union, Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted plans to reconstruct an Ottoman era military barracks on the Gezi Park site would go ahead and that a shopping mall “might be built on the ground floor or a city museum”.
The protesters say the park is one of the few green spaces left in Istanbul, and that the government is ignoring their appeals for it be saved.
Their protests initially began as a sit-in in the park, but erupted in clashes on Friday as police fired tear gas to try to clear them out.
Correspondents say that what was initially a local issue has spiraled into widespread anti-government unrest and anger over the perceived “Islamisation” of Turkey.
Thousands of people are in Taksim Square after days of unrest sparked by plans to redevelop nearby Gezi Park
One woman told Agence France-Presse: “They want to turn this country into an Islamist state, they want to impose their vision all the while pretending to respect democracy.”
Another, Oral Goktas, said the protest had brought together people from many different backgrounds.
“This has become a protest against the government, against Erdogan taking decisions like a king,” she told Reuters news agency.
The perception that police had been heavy-handed by firing tear gas and water cannon – a view adopted by many of the country’s mainstream media – also fuelled the unrest. Dozens of people have been injured in the clashes.
Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper quoted police as saying 138 people were in custody.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there had been “some mistakes, extremism in police response”, while the authorities have insisted that any allegations of abuse of power by the police will be investigated.
In an apparent bid to reduce tensions, police and riot vehicles were withdrawn from the square on Saturday afternoon, and barricades removed, allowing thousands of people to enter the square.
The scene in the central square appeared to be peaceful, with protesters chanting slogans, dancing and waving banners, some calling for the government to resign.
However clashes continued in the Besiktas district of the city to the east.
Police were using tear gas and water cannon to hold back protesters near the Shangri-la hotel.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power since 2002 and some in Turkey have complained that his government is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
His ruling AK Party has its roots in political Islam, but he says he is committed to Turkey’s state secularism.
The US has expressed concern over Turkey’s handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police’s tactics, saying: “The use of violence by police on this scale appears designed to deny the right to peaceful protest altogether and to discourage others from taking part.”
In his speech, Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the “preaching” of foreign governments, saying they “should first look at their own countries”.
Iraqi authorities say they have uncovered an al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons, as well as to smuggle them to Europe and North America.
Iraqi defense ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said five men had been arrested after military intelligence monitored their activities for three months.
Three workshops for manufacturing the chemical agents, including sarin and mustard gas, were uncovered, he added.
Remote-controlled toy planes were also seized at the workshops.
Mohammed al-Askari said they were to have been used to release the chemical agents over the target from a “safe” distance of 1.5 km (0.9 miles).
All of the arrested men had confessed to the plot, and said they had received instruction from another al-Qaeda offshoot, he added.
As the defense ministry spokesman spoke on Iraqi TV, footage was shown of four men with black hoods on their heads, our correspondent adds. Three of them were wearing bright yellow jumpsuits and a fourth was in a brown jumpsuit.
Iraqi authorities have uncovered an al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons
Their arrests were possible because of co-operation between Iraqi and foreign intelligence services, Mohammed al-Askari said.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is believed the only offshoot of the Islamist militant network to have used chemical weapons.
It detonated a 16 crude chlorine bombs in Iraq between October 2006 and June 2007.
Chlorine inhalation made many hundreds of people sick, but no deaths resulting from exposure to the chemical were recorded, US officials said at the time. Instead, the bomb blasts are believed to have caused the fatalities.
At the time, US officials said al-Qaeda appeared to want to use debilitating agents like chlorine in their bombs to cause casualties beyond those hit by the initial explosion.
US and Iraqi troops subsequently killed or detained many of the militants who were building the chlorine-laced bombs and seized much of their stockpiled chemicals.
A letter written by the late al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden five days before he was killed in a US military raid in Pakistan in 2011 urged members of the group’s offshoot in Yemen who he believed were considering using “poison” to be “careful of doing it without enough study of all aspects, including political and media reaction”, according to CNN.
Experts believe a lack of clinical trials aimed at younger breast cancer patients could be partly to blame for longer-term survival problems.
The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Wessex Cancer Trust, analyzed nearly 3,000 women under 40 in the UK with diagnosed breast cancer.
It found a rapid rise in relapse after five years in younger patients with a certain type of the cancer.
This contrasts with what normally happens with the disease.
Experts believe a lack of clinical trials aimed at younger breast cancer patients could be partly to blame for longer-term survival problems
The data, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, showed that survival five years after diagnosis was 85%. By the eight-year mark it was 68%.
Breast cancer is mostly diagnosed in post-menopausal women, although those with a diagnosis under 40 represent fewer than 5% of all breast cancers treated in the UK.
The study looked at cases involving oestrogen-receptor-positive disease, whose cancers are fuelled by the female hormone oestrogen.
This form of the disease is usually treated by chemotherapy followed by the drug tamoxifen for five years to block oestrogen receptors.
Researchers suggested that taking tamoxifen for a longer period may help, but they said the underlying problem was that trials needed to involve more younger patients.
Chief investigator Prof. Dianna Eccles said: “This study adds to the evidence that breast cancer can behave very differently when diagnosed in younger women.
“They may require a different approach to treatment, which isn’t necessarily understood from cancer trials in older patients.”
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Helen Fielding’s first novel in 14 years, is to be published later this year.
The novel is Helen Fielding’s third about the hapless singleton, following Bridget Jones’s Diary, which was published in 1996, and sequel The Edge Of Reason in 1999.
The books sold more than 15 million copies in 40 countries and were adapted for the movies starring Renee Zellweger in the lead role, Colin Firth as Mark Darcy and Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, which will be published on October 10, is set in present day London and ‘represents a totally new phase in Bridget’s life’.
An extract released by publishers showed that Bridget Jones is still prone to mishaps.
She writes after sending a text message: “You see, this is the trouble with the modern world. If it was the days of letter-writing, I would never even have started to find his address, a pen, a piece of paper, an envelope, a stamp and gone outside at 11.30 p.m. to find a postbox.
“A text is gone at the brush of a fingertip, like a nuclear bomb or Exocet missile. Dating Rule No 1: Do not text when drunk.”
Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy, Helen Fielding’s first novel in 14 years, is to be published later this year
A statement from publishers Jonathan Cape said: “Bridget is older, she is still keeping a diary, but she is also immersed in texting and experimenting with social media, with an emphasis on <<social!>>.”
Jonathan Cape publishing director Dan Franklin said: “As a comic writer, Helen is without equal. Over 15 years ago she gave a voice to a generation of young women with the original Bridget book.
“Now they’ve grown up and she’s doing it again….this time with all the joys and complications of social media.”
Bridget Jones, who filled the pages of her diary with her failed efforts to find love and measured her life in the amount of cigarettes she smoked, units of alcohol she drank and number of calories she lost or gained, started life as a weekly column in The Independent in 1995.
Best-selling English author Helen Fielding recently wrote that the dating scene had become even more difficult for women thanks to the advent of email, Twitter, Facebook and texting.
Writing in the margins of her novel Bridget Jones’ Diary for a charity book sale, she said that she thought that finding a partner is “so much worse now”.
Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth recently dashed hopes that a third Bridget Jones film would be hitting the big-screen soon.
“Unfortunately, it might be a bit of a long wait. I wouldn’t say that it’s completely dead in the water, but the way it’s going you might be seeing Bridget Jones’ granddaughter’s story being told by the time we get there,” he quipped.
According to a Scottish research, the cheap inflatable leg wraps may save the lives of patients after a stroke.
The devices regularly squeeze the legs to keep blood flowing and prevent formation of fatal blood clots.
A trial with 2,876 patients, published in the Lancet, showed there were fewer clots with the wraps.
The UK’s Stroke Association said the results were “extremely encouraging” and had the potential to save thousands of lives.
A clot in the leg, a deep vein thrombosis, is normally associated with long flights, but is a problem for hospital patients unable to move.
Doctors at Western General Hospital and the University of Edinburgh said compression socks did not improve survival and clot-busting drugs led to other problems, including bleeding on the brain.
They tested the devices, which fit around the legs and fill with air every minute. They compress the legs and force the blood back to the heart.
They were worn for a month or until the patient recovered and was able to move again.
In the study, 8.5% of patients using the compression device developed blood clots, compared with 12.1% of patients who were treated normally.
According to a Scottish research, the cheap inflatable leg wraps may save the lives of patients after a stroke
Prof. Martin Dennis said: “At last we have a simple, safe and affordable treatment that reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis and even appears to reduce the risk of dying after a stroke.
“We estimate that this treatment could potentially help about 60,000 stroke patients each year in the UK.
“If this number were treated, we would prevent about 3,000 developing a deep vein thrombosis and perhaps save 1,500 lives.”
He said the system should also be tested in other immobile patients, such as those with pneumonia.
Prof. Tony Rudd, who chairs the Intercollegiate Stroke Guideline Group at the Royal College of Physicians, said: “This study is a major breakthrough showing how a simple and safe treatment can save lives.
“It is one of the most important research studies to emerge from the field of stroke in recent years.”
Dr. Dale Webb, of the Stroke Association charity, said: “The results of this research are extremely encouraging and show that using a compression device on the legs of patients at risk of developing blood clots could be a more effective treatment.
“This new device has the potential to save thousands of lives and we would like to see it incorporated into national clinical guidelines.”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to press ahead with controversial Taksim Gezi Park redevelopment that has sparked violent clashes in central Istanbul.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not yield to “wild extremists” and urged an end to the protests.
Clashes over Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul began on Friday and continued there and in the capital, Ankara, on Saturday.
Correspondents say the local issue has spiraled into more widespread anger over perceived “Islamisation”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power since 2002 and some in Turkey have complained that his government is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
His ruling AK Party has its roots in political Islam, but he says he is committed to Turkey’s state secularism.
Last week, Turkey’s parliament approved legislation restricting the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks between 22:00 and 06:00.
In a defiant speech to the exporters’ union, Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted that the park project would go ahead.
“We will rebuild the [Ottoman era military] barracks [at the site],” he said, without referring to the shopping mall that protesters fear will be located there.
Opponents say Gezi Park in Taksim Square is one of the few green areas left in central Istanbul.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed order would be restored “to ensure the safety of people and their property”.
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to press ahead with Taksim Gezi Park redevelopment that has sparked violent clashes in central Istanbul
He said: “Police were there [Taksim Square] yesterday; they’ll be on duty today and also tomorrow because Taksim Square cannot be an area where extremists are running wild.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused protesters of using the issue as an excuse to create tension and called on them to end their action immediately to avoid “further damage to visitors, pedestrians and shopkeepers”.
He said of the protests: “All attempts apart from the ballot box are not democratic”, adding that he could summon a million pro-government protesters if he wanted to.”
However, the prime minister did admit that the police response may have been “excessive” and that “necessary instructions” had been given to the minister of the interior and the governor of Istanbul.
The protest began on Friday as a sit-in over the redevelopment plans but escalated after police used tear gas. A dozen people were admitted to hospital and more than 60 people detained.
On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators marched over the bridge connecting the Asian and European shores of Istanbul to try to reach the main square.
Police fired tear gas to try to disperse them and some protesters threw rocks.
Police also fired water cannon and tear gas in Taksim Square as demonstrators chanted “unite against fascism” and “government resign”.
Clashes were also reported in the Besiktas district.
One Istanbul resident, who gave her name as Lily, revealed that police had dropped tear-gas canisters from helicopters overnight.
“About half past one the entire city started to reverberate. People were banging on pots, pans, blowing whistles,” she said.
One woman protesting in Istanbul told Agence France-Presse: “They want to turn this country into an Islamist state, they want to impose their vision all the while pretending to respect democracy.”
In Ankara on Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered at a park, many drinking alcohol in protest at the new restrictions.
Some chanting anti-government slogans tried to march on parliament but were dispersed by police.
Many postings on Twitter have complained angrily about the lack of media coverage of the protests within Turkey.
The US has expressed concern over Turkey’s handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police’s tactics.
In his speech, Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the “preaching” of foreign governments, saying they “should first look at their own countries”.
